Number Agents

  I am currently in the process of reformatting the scope and sequence. This task has been more time-consuming than anticipated as I continue to incorporate all the wonderful additions that emerged quite spontaneously during sessions this year (I guess you could say I have been in my own Goldilocks zone, something I want for all teachers.) It is incredibly heartwarming to witness an idea that began as a mere germ of an idea in 2020 flourish and strengthen over time.   What was that idea? To create a scope and sequence, structured in such a way that met the needs of my learners with dyscalculia, in turn meeting the needs of all.  I had seen the success of Structured Literacy and was driven to create that for maths, at the time, it was something I could not see being created well.  I wanted to make something even the most reluctant math teacher could pick up and grow from.   This year has been particularly successful, primarily due to my growing underst...

Bringing Balance Back to Education I am currently working on rewriting my scope and sequence, striving to make it even more user-friendly. I know, I know, I can hear everyone saying, "Leslee, stop, take a break, give yourself some time!" I hear you all, and please understand, the chance to refine my scope and sequence so others can have a better experience using it, alongside the opportunity to write, is my idea of a break. In fact, it's a chance to finally release the thoughts and ideas that have been occupying my mind all year. The Importance of Balance Now, let's dive into the main topic of this post: balance. Balance is essential, right? We are constantly reminded to achieve a work-life balance, to eat a balanced diet, and to balance rest with exercise. Yet, when it comes to teaching and learning, the word "balance" has somehow become controversial, a dirty word. When we started advocating for structured literacy, the word "balance" became clos...

This blog has become a place to share my thoughts—thoughts that others may or may not read, thoughts others may or may not care about, but thoughts that very much reflect my journey. I started this blog after my discovery of 'play' and my original Number Agent approach back in 2016. Saying it like that, that I discovered play, makes it sound like something new. Of course, others, far more expert than I, had unearthed the importance of play long before I stumbled upon its magic. However, that is how professional journeys work; we come to things in our own space and time. Before I started my posts, I considered myself structured. Our school was structured. Academic achievement was really important to me, and it drove what I did in my new entrant class. I very much believed children needed to be ready for school, and I was often loudly wondering what on earth my ECE colleagues were doing. Children in my new entrant class were whisked quickly into formal learning, assessed for thei...