Posts tagged as: professional learning

Over ten years ago I moved from being a classroom teacher into the role of being a math coach. My first assignment included two elementary schools, which meant I was supporting approximately 36 teachers. My only experiences with school leadership were through learning opportunities like participating in a large National Science Foundation grant to build…

On the first day of my Mathematics Methods course for preservice teachers, I ask my students to solve the Dealing in Horses Problem from Marilyn Burns’ book About Teaching Mathematics, Fourth Edition: I ask my students to consider the problem individually for a few minutes and then discuss and solve the problem in table groups. I…

What constitutes good and meaningful math homework? Through a rich bank of math homework assignments, teachers come to see how homework can reinforce skills, prepare students for future lessons, extend their mathematical knowledge, and inspire their creativity. Take this example: Homework: If 3 is 5% of a number, what is 30% of that number?    …

Recent research on mathematical mindsets is turning some long-standing beliefs about mathematics learning on their heads. These studies have important implications for classroom teachers and mathematics coaches. What do we want our students to know about mathematical mindsets? Here are three big ideas I recommend discussing, modeling, and cultivating in any mathematics learning setting: Everyone…

Recently I read Matt Larson’s message on homework and reflected on how much my own stance on homework has evolved in the last decade. Initially, I struggled alone with creating homework, photocopying weekly packets, and spending hours checking and tracking what students did. Things improved when I worked with grade-level colleagues to carefully select questions…

Coaching is about listening and building partnerships. When those two qualities are present effective strategies emerge. Most educators are looking for effective strategies to make challenging subjects like math more accessible to students. However, few educators have the time or the resources to consider what makes an effective strategy, much less identify and implement one.…

How do school administrators support the highly individualized needs of their teachers? Administrators must support many different constituencies: both new and experienced teachers, those who need to work on student relationships and management techniques, and those who need help creating and implementing lesson plans. Professional development is an issue that administrators have struggled with for…