Kindergarten students in Mr. Lutz’s class at Meadowview Elementary recently put their math skills—and their confidence—on display during a highly engaging lesson rooted in our Portrait of an Eagle competencies. Throughout the morning, students demonstrated what it means to be both Confident Learners and Effective Communicators, taking ownership of their learning while exploring math in a variety of creative ways.
The class began with a collaborative math talk where students worked through a word problem that challenged them to add cars together. Mr. Lutz expertly guided the class discussion, allowing every student to participate in the learning. Together, the class dissected the word problem, identifying what information was being asked and what mathematical operation they needed to use.
Once students understood the task, they took turns coming up to the Smart Board to show their thinking in different ways. Some drew pictures of the cars from the problem, others wrote out the equation, and some even used a number line to count from three to six—highlighting their developing understanding of addition. Every student proudly used their math vocabulary, confidently calling the problem an “equation”—a big word for such a young group of learners!
After the whole-group problem-solving, students rotated through engaging math centers designed to build on their skills while fostering collaboration and communication:
Monster Math Scavenger Hunt – Students searched the classroom for monster cutouts with math problems on them. Each student solved the problems on their recording sheets, practicing their addition and subtraction skills in a fun, interactive way.
Clock Bingo Challenge – Students partnered up to check each other’s hand-crafted paper-mâché clocks. They worked together to move the minute and hour hands to the correct times, then matched those analog times to digital versions on their bingo cards. This station not only strengthened math skills but also encouraged peer feedback and cooperation.
Cut and Paste Clock Activity – Another group worked on a fine-motor activity, cutting and gluing clocks to match digital and analog times. This helped reinforce telling time while also practicing precision and attention to detail.
Throughout each activity, students were actively engaged, supporting one another, sharing their thinking, and pushing themselves to try new problem-solving strategies. It was a fantastic example of students becoming Confident Learners—embracing challenges, working through mistakes, and showing pride in their accomplishments.
At the same time, students showed they were becoming Effective Communicators by explaining their thinking, collaborating with classmates, and using academic vocabulary—all essential skills that connect directly to our district’s Portrait of an Eagle vision.
Seeing our youngest learners thrive in this environment is a powerful reminder of how early these important competencies take root.
