The great thing about the educational community is that we have made a huge push to migrate everything online.  You can find almost anything about anything in any subject and any lesson.  The truth is, I'm an impostor.  I'm using content from all over the web in hopes of giving my students the best possible instruction available.  It's phenomenal, yet overwhelming.  We have sites that offer a noble effort to get some sort of financial compensation for the hours that teachers have put into the creation of unique lessons.  However, is collaboration really collaboration if you have to pay for it?

I'm more interested in sites like these:
Dan Meyer
Math Mistakes
Mathalicious
Estimation180
101QS
Visual Patterns
Math Thinking

All of these sites are intense resources for math instruction, and they're all on a great discount - free.  They were created out of a passion for students to understand the content rather than a way to make direct financial gain.  Sure, the creators of these sites will reap some fringe benefits, but they'll be from speaking fees and collaboration compensation.  

With that being said, I need some help:

This is a picture that I took of my odometer when I got home from work today.  Don't worry, it was all legal according to California State Law.  What approach should I take on this with the class tomorrow?  I could ask:

What is the first question that comes to mind? (a la 101qs)
Estimate how old my car is/ $ I've spent in gas/etc. (a la estimation180)
Create a 3-Act lesson (a la Dan Meyer)

Or something else completely different...

With that being said, can you share your thoughts?

There are plenty of worksheets to give and countless problems for students to solve.  Based on what has been posted online in the past few years, I see no reason to continue doing things the way that we've always done them.

Happy Fishing

Maybe.  Maybe not. Maybe it just feels like teaching is getting easier because I have a great group of kids this year (which I do).  Maybe this teaching gig isn't all a grind after all of the hard work that gets put into every lesson, every detail, every staff meeting, every kid who just doesn't get it, every struggle to find the best way to reach that struggling learner... Ok, so it isn't all "easy".