As a middle school math teacher, I am always looking for ways to engage reluctant students. My first classroom had two massive bulletin boards on the back wall and it was a struggle to fill the space with useful and colorful information. I love color and desperately needed to add some to my all white classroom, so these boards quickly became an easy way to do that. The very first puzzle I created was the leaf pattern one pictured below.
When the seasons changed, I was inspired to update the puzzle. I bought all the seasonal bulletin board accents I could find at my local teacher supply store and searched for puzzles that would easily transition to the board. There was a lot of failure. Some months, no one would engage with the puzzle. Either the directions were too vague or the puzzle was too difficult. Every year, this leaf puzzle was the most successful in getting students to engage. At first, the direction was “What would the next number in each pattern be?” and then, to avoid writing too many words on the board, I simply added a question mark leaf to the bottom of the pattern. This was the game changer. It implied look for the pattern and figure out the next number without all the clunky reading.
Scroll through the pictures above. These are the puzzles for November, December, January, and February. With the exception of January (the mittens), they all have one thing in common: the question mark. These puzzles create conversation among students especially during transition times. It is a wonderful way to help push their thinking and show them that they can do it. I always get a small accent that goes with the board’s theme, and when a student gets it correct, I’ll write their name on the accent and put it up on the board. Once students start seeing other people’s names on the board, it’s game on! Some students even strive to be the first each month.
The January puzzle is a one that I love because of its multiple correct solutions. While the single question mark puzzles are self explanatory, this one is a thinker and really helps to develop perseverance. I print off a small version of the puzzle to hand to students that are interested in taking on the challenge. The link here is a single piece of paper intended to be cut in 4. This really helps students get started and then they simply hand it to me for a quick check.
Mrs.Bricker 