4th & 5th Grade // Math Workshop

At Detroit Achievement Academy, a large portion of math learning occurs during Math Workshop. Math Workshop is a pedagogical practice in which students are able to self-monitor their learning by working independently, or in leveled groups without direct instruction or facilitation from a teacher. While students are working independently, the teacher is available to pull small groups to review grade level skills and provide more intimate instruction for students who need extra support. In the realm of education, math workshop is not used in every school/math classroom. This raises the question: Is Math Workshop necessary? At DAA, we believe math workshop is both a necessary and effective method to help increase student growth. 

In a traditional classroom, the teacher is responsible for 100% of the instruction. He or she stands in front of the class and presents the material and students are expected to follow along. But what about the students in the class who are not achieving  at grade level and have a difficult time keeping up? What about the students who are above grade level and can breeze through each assignment with little to no errors? Both types of students can get lost in a traditional teaching setting which jeopardizes their academic growth. 

This is where Math Workshop comes in! By dedicating a portion of math instruction to allow students to work independently on activities and assignments that are at their academic level, the teacher is able to meet more students where they are and continue to push them forward in their learning and understanding. Moreover, by having students  work independently and in small groups, it empowers them to take accountability for their learning just as much as the teacher. At Detroit Achievement Academy, we believe that all students should have equal access to learning and understanding and math workshop is just one way that we are able to reach more students.