Working in a class

Each week I relieve in a year 2/3 class so for one day I get to practice problem solving with a class rather than with my small groups. 

This class was split into half and one half works independently in Maths while the other half works with me. They are given a word problem and are asked to read it and talk about what they can see in their heads and what the problem is asking them to do. Once they have had a think, pair, share with their buddy we come back as a group to talk about the problem and also the rules when working with a buddy. This is to ensure that all the students are clear about what the problem is and the expectations before they start trying to solve it. Once we have had a whole group discussion, the students are given a chance to try to work it out. At this stage most students generally choose to use materials such as beans, counters or ice block sticks to help them. 

Here are some photos of the students problem solving: