The story of your learning journey as a teacher is important. Teacher learning stories remind us that teaching is a craft which is developed, not an innate ability. Stories of our professional learning journeys serve as a source of inspiration for early-career teachers who still feel awkward in their instructional practice. When we share ourRead On >
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Teaching the Skills of Mathematical Discourse
Mathematical discourse can be defined as the habits of exchanging mathematical ideas within a classroom. Discourse encompasses the ways in which a classroom community thinks about, talks about, and represents mathematics. A class’s discourse is shaped by the teacher’s facilitation of learning and class discussions, and the nature of the mathematical tasks provided to students. Read On >
Teaching Perseverance
How do you teach students to hang in there when learning gets difficult? We talk about the importance of perseverance all the time these days; it’s akin to growth mindset but not precisely the same thing. The ability to persevere in mathematical work relies on a set of skills that some students have and othersRead On >
Seeing Our Students
“We’re developing young human beings. Math is the context.” Deborah Ball made this statement to a room full of educators on the first day of the Teaching Works Elementary Mathematics Laboratory. During this annual event, Dr. Ball teaches mathematics to a class of fifth-grade students as the educators sit silently in the back of theRead On >
Building Community in Math Class
Why is it important to build a sense of community within our math classes? How can we help students learn how to learn together? Why is the ability to learn with and from others important? At the TeachingWorks Elementary Mathematics Laboratory*, Dr. Deborah Ball shared the following community compact with her fifth grade students onRead On >
Tame your Inner Boa: Reclaim your Learning Mindset
Oh, I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, a boa constrictor, I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor, and I don’t like it–one bit. Well, what do you know? It’s nibblin’ my toe. Oh, gee, It’s up to my knee. Oh my, It’s up to my thigh. Oh, fiddle, It’s up toRead On >