One thing I absolutely love is in the middle of an assessment, a student will raise their hand and say, “You forgot to take the charts down.” I respond with a bright smile and whisper, “I know, it’s okay.” A feeling of joy wells up inside of me because its conformation they are using the anchor charts.
If you walk into my classroom the only manufactured posters you’ll find are the one required by administration to post. All other writing on the wall is student thinking from…wait for it…this school year! If you’ve never heard of anchor charts, a brief definition is chart paper housing and displaying the thoughts and strategies of students. Often times, like mine, the charts are created by the teacher, but should ultimately be created by students.
Whether it is after a number talk or during the closing of my lesson, I snap a picture of the thinking and transfer it to an anchor chart and literally hang it up in the classroom. Students are able to view the charts from their seats or walk up to the chart to review and make sense of what they see.
Numbertalks session
Numbertalks Anchor Chart
Anchor Charts
