My name is Kristen Lenhard, and I am currently a Special Education Math Teacher for 5th and 6th grade in New Jersey. I follow the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and have been in the field of education for over 12 years. I am now in my fifth year at the charter school where I currently teach.

I support students using a combination of 4th, 5th, 6th, and occasionally 7th grade curricula, depending on their individual needs. Our school follows a block schedule, and I provide pull-out resource support 4–5 times per week. Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes and typically occurs during either the first or second half of the general education math block.

My instruction is aligned with the general education curriculum, ensuring that students in the resource room are learning the same math skills being taught in their grade-level classrooms. However, many of my students require modifications and scaffolding to access the content at their current level of understanding.

In addition to math instruction, I also utilize our morning enrichment period following homeroom to work with small groups. During this time, I focus on building fluency with basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division through daily timed drills and targeted practice.