Trying to figure out a Guided Math schedule that allows you to fit in everything else you need to do in the day can be really challenging.
And, what you’re picturing in your mind when you think of Guided Math will really define whether or not you think it can work in your classroom.
⏰If the scenario you are imagining is not one that you think you have time for or will work with your students, you likely won’t even attempt to implement Guided Math.⏰
But, I’m here to tell you to throw that traditional Guided Math picture out of your mind!
Guided Math can work in any classroom, with any schedule—even yours! Guided Math is used to work with your students in a small setting so you can meet them where they are.
That’s right—I said, YOUR students.
This means that Guided Math will look different in every classroom because you are meeting the needs of your specific learners.
So, don’t worry what the teach down the hall is doing! Instead, figure out a way to make Guided Math happen for your class.
And if you are worried that you don’t have enough time to plan and run Guided Math, let me help ease your concerns.
?Stop Worrying About Rotations?
A flexible approach to Guided Math takes what you traditionally expect Guided Math to look like and turns it on its head! With this approach, you don’t have to have a perfect schedule for Guided Math.
Instead of setting up stations around the room and planning tasks for each rotation, you can simply create a Must Do May Do chart for your students. While your students work through the chart (at their own seats), you can pull a group or groups to your teacher table.
⏲️This allows you to spend as little or as much time on Guided Math as you want.
Since your students aren’t traveling the room going to different stations, you don’t have to worry about them having enough time to do the work of each rotation. Instead, they work at their own pace on the Must Do May Do list.
?Meet With Target Groups
That’s right—you pull who you want/need to work with to your table.
You may choose not to meet with each group each day!
You may choose to spend your whole time working with one specific group. And depending on how much time you have for Guided Math, this could be just the change you need to make in order to fit it into your schedule!
Of course, if you have plenty of time for Guided Math, you can pull all of your students. The point is—you don’t have to meet with each student each day in order to make Guided Math happen.
⏳If you are really short on time, you can pull just a few target students to work with while the rest of your class works on “Must Do” activities that you assign.
Create a Stress-Free Routine
With a daily routine, you don’t have to spend countless hours planning busy work for your students to do during math. Instead, establish your expectations and teach your students to be independent!
The biggest obstacle to implementing Guided Math is not the amount of time you have on your schedule—it’s your mindset!
Do you want your students to work on a practice page, fluency, technology, and a center each day? Just create that routine to make it happen!
Join thousands of other teachers who are making the change to Flexible Guided Math this year and create a routine that works for you!
Grab a FREE copy of this Guide Book and learn different ways you can incorporate Guided Math into your schedule!
I implemented flexible guided math this past school year and loved it! I am working on organizing things this summer and arranging my room differently for a more smooth flow and ease of access to materials my students need. I had been using a combination of daily 3 and math workshop for a couple of years. Flexible math was a great time saver and worked well with my students. Thanks ?!
What would you suggest structure wise for a 45 minute math class?