Rosa Kleinman

Reflection on Observation (5/4/17)

Topic: Mathematics (Counting to 100; Estimating numbers to 100)

My students have accomplished so much in mathematics this year. They began the
school year counting numbers from 1-10, progressed to numbers up to 40. Now, they have
nearly reached the end of first grade and are practicing counting up to 100, which was one of
the focuses of this lesson, along with a brief introduction to the concept of estimation.
I began the lesson by hanging the Hundreds Chart on the easel and asked students to
recall the name of this special tool that we use for counting--students offered answers such as
calendar and number chart, which I acknowledged were similar ideas to the hundreds chart.
Then, as a class, we counted by tens to one hundred, practicing the names of numbers newer
to us, such as 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100. After counting up to 100 and back, I asked the
students to look at the multiples of ten on the hundreds as I covered up the zeroes (so that the
numbers appeared as 1, 2, 3, etc., instead of 10, 20, 30) and notice the patterns.
This part of the lesson went well. The students were engaged with the hundreds chart, a
familiar tool that they used a few units ago in math. As the students shared ideas about the
name of the hundreds chart, I was able to build off of their responses and acknowledge their
contributions to the discussion, which I believe is key to creating a safe and caring learning
environment. Counting by tens went well, but if I were to teach this lesson once more, I would sit
with the hundreds chart longer and ask students a few more questions about the hundreds chart
such as, What number would be between 10 and 30? Why? (while covering the number 20
with a piece of paper), or What is ten more than 20? How do you know?. These questions
could even be asked in a Turn and Talk to give students an opportunity to rehearse math talk
with their peers. In addition, these types of questions would provide opportunities for children to
authentically engage with a math tool which can help them as they learn to add and subtract
with larger numbers, as well as build number sense for larger numbers.
After counting on the hundreds chart, we shifted our focus to a new concept: estimation.
In order to introduce this concept in a friendly way, I engaged students with a picture of 48 dots
and asked the students to share what they noticed about it. After sharing their observations of
the image, I asked students if they thought they could count this quickly--to which most of them
answered a resounding No!. Then, I introduced the students to the word estimate and asked
students to observe me estimating and counting, noting that estimation was faster but not as
accurate as counting. Following our discussion of the dots, students proceeded to play two
games: one where they practiced estimation with a partner, and one where they practiced
identifying and naming numbers up to 100.
One thing that I would have liked to emphasize more heavily in this part of the lesson
was the fact that estimation is not exact because many students expressed concern at not
getting the answer right on the first try. I might also have students estimate how many dots there
in order to authentically engage them with the concept of estimation. I would also show students
a picture of something from real life (for example, people in a crowded subway car or on a
beach) and ask them to estimate, because estimation is often used in a situation where it is
difficult to count exactly. Something else I would include in this conversation is the purpose of
estimating vs. counting--when to use which one, and why?
 One final component of my lesson that I would like to reflect on is management of
transitions in the classroom. When we transitioned between the rug and both of the games,
some students seemed confused about what to do, although I had previously described the
agenda for the rest of the lesson (game 1, game 2, then workbook practice). Next time, I would
make sure that students are listening carefully to this agenda while we are still on the rug by
asking 1-2 students to repeat what we would be doing independently. I would also set a timer
loud enough for the students to hear so that they would begin cleaning up automatically.