Being a substitute teacher, it is at times difficult to connect with students and keep them engaged. Students need time to feel comfortable around a new teacher and adjust to their teaching style and actively participate in the class. Also, it can be challenging to hold the attention of students and make them understand a concept in the same way as their regular teacher does as every student learns differently and it takes time to know them and connect with them.
In such a case, it becomes essential to have a collection of innovative and creative activities that can save the day. In the following section of the article, you’ll find some creative and quirky math activities for substitute teachers that can stimulate the learning environment and lighten up the atmosphere with curiosity and excitement.
Engaging math adventures: Creative activities for substitute teachers
1. Estimation Station
Math comes with the ability to guess and estimate. There are many instances in daily life that requires us to estimate a certain number or quantity. This activity is going to address the same.
In this estimation activity, begin by introducing the concept of estimation, explaining that it involves making an educated guess based on available information and prior knowledge. Emphasize that estimations don’t have to be precise, but rather a close approximation.
How to do it:
- Gather a transparent jar or container and fill it with a known quantity of small objects, such as buttons, marbles, or beans. Count the actual number of items and keep it a secret.
- Display the jar in a prominent place in the classroom, ensuring that students can observe the contents without touching or manipulating it.
- Explain to the students that their task is to estimate the number of items inside the jar. Encourage them to think about different strategies they can use to make their guesses, such as considering the size of the objects, estimating the volume of the jar, or comparing it to a known quantity.
- Distribute paper and pencils to the students, allowing them to write down their estimates.
- Once all the students have made their estimations, reveal the actual number of items in the jar. Have a discussion about the different strategies students used, the reasoning behind their estimates, and how close their guesses were to the actual value.
- Celebrate the student who made the closest estimation and encourage the class to reflect on the experience, discussing what they learned about estimation and how it can be applied in real-life situations.
2. Math Art
Art integration in education has proven to be very beneficial, especially for mathematics. In this activity, begin by highlighting the connection between math and art, explaining that both disciplines rely on patterns, symmetry, and geometric principles. Emphasize that math can be creative and that art can be mathematical.
How to do it:
- Provide students with a variety of art supplies, including rulers, compasses, colored pencils, and paper. Show them examples of geometric patterns, tessellations, and symmetrical designs to inspire their creativity.
- Explain different mathematical concepts that can be explored through art, such as symmetry (reflection, rotational), geometric shapes, tessellation (repeating patterns), or the golden ratio.
- Encourage students to experiment with different techniques and materials, allowing them to create their own unique math-inspired artwork. They can explore geometric patterns, create symmetrical designs, or experiment with tessellations.
- Provide guidance and support as needed, assisting students in incorporating mathematical elements into their artwork. Encourage them to discuss their artistic choices and how they relate to the math concepts they are exploring.
- Allocate time for students to share their artwork with the class. Encourage them to explain the mathematical principles they incorporated and what inspired their creative decisions.
- Foster a positive and supportive environment, celebrating the diverse interpretations and expressions of math through art.
3. Math Dice Games
Just like you roll the dice in some board games, In this activity too, we’re going to sharpen our math skills and engage in friendly competition through exciting Math Dice Games.
How to do the activity:
- Pair up the students and provide each pair with a pair of dice.
- Explain the rules: Each student takes turns rolling the dice and using the numbers rolled to perform math operations, such as addition, subtraction, or multiplication.
- For example, if a student rolls a 3 and a 5, they can add the numbers to get 8, subtract them to get -2, or multiply them to get 15.
- Encourage students to write down the calculations and the resulting answers.
- Students earn points based on the accuracy of their calculations. For correct answers, they receive one point.
- Students take turns rolling the dice and performing calculations. The game continues for a set amount of time or until a predetermined point limit is reached.
- At the end of the game, the student with the most points wins.
4. Pattern Block Puzzles
Geometry and patterns are the concepts of math that require the ability to visualize in order to get a strong hold of the concept. This activity will encourage you to think critically and creatively to solve a problem.
How to do the activity:
- Distribute pattern blocks (triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.) to each student.
- Present pattern block puzzle cards or templates to the class. These cards depict a pattern or shape that students need to recreate using their pattern blocks.
- Explain the objective: Students must examine the pattern block card and use their blocks to recreate the exact pattern or shape.
- Encourage students to experiment with different placements, rotations, and combinations of blocks until they successfully recreate the pattern.
- Remind students to pay attention to the shape, color, and orientation of the blocks.
- Provide support and guidance as needed, encouraging students to think critically and explore various strategies.
- Once students have completed a puzzle, they can move on to the next one or exchange cards with a classmate to try a different challenge.
- Celebrate their successes and encourage discussions about their approaches and problem-solving strategies.
5. Math Fact Race
This activity will challenge your mental math abilities and engage in a friendly competition. With a set of flashcards in hand, be swift, be accurate, and race your way to mathematical glory!”
How to do the activity:
- Divide the class into pairs or small groups and provide each group with a set of flashcards containing math facts (e.g., addition, subtraction, multiplication).
- Explain the rules: Each student takes turns flipping a flashcard and quickly solving the math problem presented on it.
- The first person to provide the correct answer earns a point for their team.
- Encourage students to be quick and accurate in their calculations.
- After each card is solved, it is placed aside, and the next card is flipped.
- The game continues for a predetermined time limit or until all the flashcards have been solved.
- At the end of the game, tally the points for each team, and the team with the most points wins the Math Fact Race.
6. Number Line Hopscotch
This activity will combine your math skills with some physical movement in the exhilarating Number Line Hopscotch. Get ready to hop, jump, and solve math problems as you traverse the number line.
How to do the activity:
- Draw a number line on the floor or use masking tape to create a temporary one.
- Explain the objective: Students will physically hop on the number line to represent the correct answer to math problems involving addition or subtraction.
- Call out math problems, one at a time, involving addition or subtraction.
- For example, if the problem is “5 + 3,” students would hop from the number 5 to the number 8.
- Encourage students to take turns and participate in the physical activity.
- Provide support and guidance as needed, ensuring students understand the problems and corresponding movements.
- Continue calling out math problems, allowing students to hop along the number line to represent the correct answers.
- Celebrate their accomplishments and encourage discussions about the strategies they used to solve the problems.
7. Fraction Pizza
Let’s learn fractions with our favorite pizzas! This fraction activity will not only help students learn about fractions but also think creatively.
How to do the activity:
- Provide each student with a paper plate or a circular template representing a pizza.
- Instruct students to divide their “pizza” into equal parts to represent different fractions.
- Encourage them to be creative with their toppings, showing different fractions as toppings on their pizza slices. For example, they can use colored pencils or markers to label 1/4 of the pizza with pepperoni, 1/8 with mushrooms, and so on.
- Remind students to make sure their fractions are accurately represented and labeled.
- Once completed, students can share their fraction pizzas with the class, explaining their choices and the fractions they used.
- Encourage discussions about equivalent fractions and how different toppings represent different fractions.
- Consider displaying the fraction pizzas around the classroom as a visual reminder of fractions in a fun and creative way.
8. Data Analysis with Graphs
To acquaint students with data and graphs, you can conduct this activity and bring the concept to life and stimulate the learning environment. The activity encompasses data collection, observational skills, and critical thinking.
How to do the activity:
- Provide students with a set of data or assign a topic for them to research and collect data on. For example, they can survey their classmates’ favorite sports or food items.
- Instruct students to organize the data they collected and choose appropriate types of graphs to represent the information, such as bar graphs, line graphs, or pie charts.
- Encourage them to use different colors and labels to enhance the clarity and understanding of their graphs.
- Students can present their graphs to the class, explaining their data collection process, the types of graphs chosen, and their interpretations of the data.
- Facilitate discussions about the different representations and their effectiveness in conveying the information. Ask questions to explore trends, comparisons, or patterns within the data.
- Encourage students to think critically about the graphs and consider how they can be used to make conclusions or predictions based on the data.
Conclusion
To conclude, activities are the perfect tool for both the substitute and regular teachers to spark curiosity, grab students’ attention, and encourage them to actively participate in the class. These activities bring abstract math concepts to life and help students see the practical version of it. From the excitement of Math Dice Games to the artistic flair of Fraction Pizza, these activities not only reinforce important math skills but also make learning enjoyable and memorable.
By introducing these activities with enthusiasm and providing clear instructions, we can create an atmosphere of excitement and discovery. So, as substitute teachers, let’s embrace the power of these math activities and inspire our students to see the beauty and practicality of mathematics.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,