The past few weeks I have been in classrooms modeling ‘Number Talks’ for grades K-6. This was in response to my teachers asking for more number sense strategies. However, today I wasn’t even thinking about this as I was running around the school between classrooms, the copy room, and my computer. My brain was racing with organizing next steps for grade level PLCs and helping teachers celebrate their growth thus far with the new adoption of reader’s workshop.
As I turned the corner to the copy machine I ran into Kathy, who teaches kindergarten. She had decided after watching me model two days of ‘Number Talks’ with her kiddos that she was ready to make the jump and try it herself.
When I saw her she stopped dead in her tracks and said with delight, “I tried it!!. I did a number talk with my AM class and it went great. They came up with many different strategies for making six.”
Out loud I responded, “I am so proud of you for trying something new and seeing how your kids can talk about numbers flexibly! Great work Kathy.”
In my head I said, YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! and did a happy dance.:) She took the jump and saw the benefit! Her kids will truly grow from doing mental math and talking about the flexibility of numbers.
Then, it got better! After lunch I received an email from Kathy saying, “I did the number talk with my PM class and it went even better. Come by my class to see their thinking.”
The moment I read this I dropped what I was doing and hustled over to her classroom. When I walked in she said, “Miss M is here to see all of the wonderful thinking you did during your ‘Number Talk’ today!” The kids screamed, “YAY!” and ran over to the board to tell me which strategy they had used for their mental math. I couldn’t have been happier seeing the excitement in these little kindergartners as they explained their math thinking.
At the end of my day, this was my win.
I’m participating in Slice of Life Story Challenge every day in March! Check it out at https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/
Be Inspired 
I could feel that familiar stress of hustling and bustling around getting things ready at the beginning of your piece. Teachers feel that all the time. Then you Slowly transitioned to one teacher sharing her joy, to a classroom full of joyous learners. We don’t feel that one enough and don;t get to share it with others enough. Congratulations on a job well done!
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A huge win! This is great!
Love how you unfolded this story, first with your encounter in the hall and then with you running into her room.
YAY!
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