BensonVoss Math 8

Amber, convince me there are more salsa dancers than disco dancers without using the word “count” or naming numbers?
💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 🕺🏼🕺🏼🕺🏼 This would be an awesome activation activity aka primer activity.

Think about it and nominate!

Who do you know that deserves recognition as an exceptional middle grades educator?
This prestigious award honors outstanding practitioners who have advanced the field of middle level education with a significant body of work impacting the lives of young adolescents through their teaching, leadership, and advocacy.

We’re proud to celebrate our recent past honorees pictured here: true leaders who continue to inspire excellence in middle grades education. We can't wait to celebrate whoever's next at !

Nominations for the 2026 AMLE Middle Grades Educator of the Year are due July 15:
👉amle.org/amle-educator-of-the-year

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://exceptionalchildren.org/lac?vvsrc%3D/Campaigns/121668/Respond&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1781636855775392&usg=AOvVaw2XMyqtK5aWZ1_hAr43ZUl3

exceptionalchildren.org

“Specially Designed Instruction, The Definitive Guide,” Dr. Weiss, I am looking to your expertise. Every time I think I have my understanding of SDI nailed down, I learn or read something new.

Voss often sends ideas to Benson and then Benson will ask Voss, "Did you text, email, or message that idea about ...?" Voss never knows!

Voss decided (Benson is working w/ VDOE in Richmond so she will be SO surprised!) to think outloud so that it may spark ideas for others. As always, feel free to use our ideas to support your classroom.

Idea for First Days with students:

1. Our first each year is matching the names, faces, and roles of the "Important" peeps at Northside Middle School. (We have a lot of updating to do for this year.)

2. *New Idea* After completing #1 for 2-3 days, we can use the faces of the important peeps to check on prerequisite coordinate skills! (This was a BIG problem for our kids last year.)

Using velcro, we will have kids plot given coordinates, using the faces as points. (formative data opportunity, 2 days) Next we will pre-place the faces and ask students to identify the coordinates for the "school nurse," etc. (formative data opportunity 2 days.)

What do you think?

How did we make sure all students could access the project?
- The project tasks were chunked. (addressed executive functioning, focus, and processing needs)
- Students were given multiple ways to engage with the content, including visual supports, written prompts, mathematical calculations, and collaborative discussion. (differentiation is providing varied points of access and demonstration of learning opprtunities)
- The task was relevant and engaging. (students had buy-in, this project was meaningful to them)

I just saw this article and immediately texted one of our PE teachers. (I’m sure that he was so happy to hear from me at 7 am during summer break!)

The article got me thinking. If PE teachers could incorporate some core literacy and math, we can chip away at the deficits.

'Basketball Mathematics' help children boost math skills without extra class time A dribble and a jump shot, followed by a fractions task. That is what physical education classes looked like for a group of pupils, and the pupils not only found the lessons more engaging than usual—they also became better at mathematics with a basketball in their hands, according to a new study f...