Tips to Begin Your Bridges Year

The following list of links and resources is designed to support Bridges users with planning, prep, and organization as they begin a new school year.

Manipulatives

• Organize Teacher Manipulatives - try a fishing tackle box or craft container.
• Missing Manipulatives Mug - place a mug on your desk to serve as a parking lot for manipulatives that students find on the floor. (illustration at left.)
• Managing Manipulatives - create a system for students to manage manipulatives.
• Toolkit Organization - organize your toolkits in grade 4/5 with some help from this master teacher.
• Sharing Student Work - use trays or pieces of cardboard for students to move visuals to the document camera.
• Managing Dice - runaway dice? Use tiny, clear boxes as dice shakers.

Classroom Walls & Number Corner Display

• Math Questioning Strategies - print these questions to post around the room. English/Spanish.
• Number Corner Displays - photos from various classrooms and grade levels.
• Second Grade Number Corner Display - detailed photos from a second grade classroom.
• Addition & Subtraction Fact Strategy Posters - print & display posters demonstrating strategies taught in Bridges.
• Multiplication & Division Fact Strategy Posters - print & display.
• Multi-Digit Multiplication Strategy Posters - print & display.

Lesson Planning

• Lesson Planner - a blank 2-week planner for Bridges and Number Corner.
• CCSS Aligned Assessments - review the CCSS Aligned Assessments.
• Preparing for a Substitute - ideas from Bridges teachers on preparing for a substitute teacher.
• Quick Links - use Advanced Preparation Charts & Implementation Guides to help you plan.

School-Home Communication

• Open House & Conferences  - review documents that parents will appreciate at Back-to-School Night.
• Video Tutorials - consider video tutorials as one way of sharing with parents.

Strategies for Student Engagement

• Think-Pair-Share - popular, effective strategy used in Bridges classrooms.
• Craft Sticks & Playing Cards - ways to balance student participation.
• Every Student Response Strategies - additional ideas for generating responses from all.

Resource & Tech Links:  Remember to check your grade level for games, books, online teaching tools and other resources which directly relate to Bridges lessons.

How do you plan for your year with Bridges? Post your suggestions in the comments section.