3 Tips For Making Time For Guided Math

I often hear from teachers that they do not have enough time to fit guided math into their daily schedule. It’s no secret that trying to fit it all in can sometimes be a challenge. However, I’m here to tell you that after working with teachers from all over the United States, it is so doable! Read on for 3 tips for making time for guided math in your classroom.

What is Guided Math?

Guided math is a framework that can work in any classroom, with any schedule, no matter what curriculum you use! 

The great thing about guided math is that it can be adapted to fit your needs. It is not a rigid schedule, but a flexible routine for structuring your math block. 

Guided math essentially means you are working with your students in a small group setting. This allows you to differentiate instruction and meet them where they’re at. 

Therefore, guided math will look differently in every classroom. No two classrooms have learners with the exact same needs or the same schedule. Subsequently, every teacher is different and has a different teaching style and approach to guided math. 

That’s the beauty of guided math. It gives you the freedom to teach in the way that lights you up while reaching your students in the way that best fits their personality and learning needs. 

So if the teacher down the hall is doing guided math differently from you, don’t sweat it! Cheer them on and focus on implementing guided math in your own unique way in your classroom. 

Making Time for Guided Math

There are so many questions and misconceptions out there about guided math. One of the biggest is about making time for it during your math block. 

If you’re one of those teachers that feels like they just don’t have the time to plan for, prep for, and run guided math in your classroom, I’m here to help! Check out these 3 tips for making time for guided math, no matter how busy you are!

Tip #1: Split Your Math Block Into Chunks

First, look at how much time you have to teach math. Ideally, you want to have 60-90 minutes for your math block. 

Can you manage to fit it all into one large block of time? Do you need to split the components up into two different times of the day in order to get your minutes in? 

If you only have time for a whole group lesson in the morning, do you have time to do rotations in the afternoon? Can you sneak your independent practice in right after lunch when your students are easing back into learning?

So often, teachers think that in order to do guided math effectively, they have to do all of the components in the same chunk of time.

Don’t get me wrong, that is a great way to do it if you have that kind of time. However, if you don’t, it is perfectly ok to split your math block up into two or even three chunks if needed throughout the day. 

In fact, giving students those breaks in between chunks can help them refocus and absorb the concepts even more. 

Tip #2: Only Meet With A Certain Number Of Small Groups Each Day

A common misconception that teachers have about guided math is that they feel like they have to meet with all of their small groups each and every day.

While I wish all teachers had a magical schedule that would allow for this, in most cases, you won’t have time to see each group every day. That is ok, though! 

Let’s say you have 5 groups of students. Make it a goal to see at least 2-3 groups each day. I would always hope to get in 3 groups a day. However, I knew if I got in 2, that I was doing good. 

Now, you might be wondering how to determine which small groups you see first each day. A good rule of thumb is to always make a point to see your below average students every single day. 

They need more exposure to the concepts and more one-on-one time with the teacher. Then, alternate seeing your other groups every other day. 

This not only allows you to work closely with the students who need you most everyday, but it gives your higher level students an opportunity to work independently and challenge themselves in math stations and independent practice. 

Tip #3: Stop Wasting Time Teaching Students How To Do Math Stations

One of the biggest time-sucks when it comes to guided math is teaching students HOW to do math stations. You can easily spend half your math station time explaining how to do each activity to your students. Then you’re left feeling rushed with no time left to actually play. 

One of the main goals of math stations is to move students towards independence in their learning. Maximize Your Math Block is the perfect way to help students gain independence and confidence while still giving them the guided instruction they need.

With this monthly math station subscription, you don’t have to explain the directions for any of the games, because I’ve done the work for you! 

Each activity in Maximize Your Math Block includes student instructional videos. Therefore, teachers can spend less time showing their students how to do each math station. They can spend that precious time doing small group instruction, which is what matters most. 

For each math station activity, students simply scan the QR code to watch the instructional video. Each video shows students exactly what supplies they’ll need and how to play. 

You can learn more about how to save time and stress with Maximize Your Math Block in this blog post. 

I hope these tips have given you the confidence to sit down with your schedule and map out the best way to make time for guided math in your classroom.

If you’re looking for more support in implementing guided math, check out my online self-paced professional development training called Managing Math Stations. This training gives you the step-by-step process for making guided math successful in your classroom!

If you need help or want to see example schedules of how other teachers are doing guided math in their classrooms, come join our Saddle Up For 2nd Grade Teachers Facebook Group!

You can find more information and tips on implementing guided math in these blog posts:

• All About Guided Math
• How to Use Guided Math With Any Curriculum
• Guided Math Misconceptions
• Setting Up Your Math Block

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