Teaching Is a Journey
The "
Teaching Is a Journey" section of the NCTM's
Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12 (MTLT) journal provides insightful reflections and practical advice for math educators. This section emphasizes the importance of continuous self-reflection and growth in teaching. The following summaries are drawn from articles within this section, offering various perspectives and strategies to enhance your teaching practice.
Read more on how to implement these tips:
Reflect on your practices. As a math teacher, take a step back and reflect on your practice: Are you fulfilling and meeting your students' needs and interests? Are students doing math or thinking about the math? Are you teaching procedures or concepts? Ask yourself these questions and more to identify areas for growth. Recognize that teaching is a journey, not a destination, and be open to growth and learning. Surround yourself with a
community of like-minded educators who can support and challenge you. And most importantly, acknowledge that the biggest hindrance to your success is yourself - be willing to let go of perfectionism and work collaboratively with students, colleagues, and administrators to create an
equitable and effective learning environment that fosters student-centered learning and promotes anti-racist math education. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to becoming a more effective and compassionate math teacher. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Square Pegs, Round Holes
)
Value your students. A key factor in successful teaching is genuinely valuing your students. As math teachers, it's crucial to show genuine interest in your students' lives and build strong relationships within the classroom. This approach fosters a sense of belonging and encourages students to engage with math. By attending their events, incorporating their interests into lessons, and making them feel respected, you can transform their learning experience. Always greet your students with a smile, make them feel appreciated, and create an environment where they know they're valued just as they are. This not only enhances their academic journey but also helps them develop a positive attitude towards math. Valuing your students is not about ignoring their struggles or differences but rather about seeing them as individuals with unique strengths and quirks. In math, where some students may feel intimidated or disconnected, showing that you value them can create a safe and welcoming environment that fosters a love for the subject. So, remember to start every class with an open door and a smile, and show your students that you appreciate them exactly as they are. Your genuine care and interest in your students can make a significant impact on their success and enjoyment of math. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Learn to Like Your Students)
Design a building-based intervention program. One effective approach to supporting struggling students is to design a building-based intervention program that focuses on student-centered,
discussion-based learning. Rather than simply providing additional instructional time or remediation, this approach prioritizes teacher collaboration, student autonomy, and problem-solving. By splitting your time into five main components - Tier 1 support, class drop-ins, individual student sessions, liaison to special education department, and math program management - you can provide targeted support to students while also fostering a culture of mathematical thinking and confidence. Additionally, by incorporating elements such as formative assessment, specially designed instruction, and recruitment and retention efforts for underrepresented groups, you can create a comprehensive program that addresses the unique needs of your students. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Rethinking Intervention)
>Show your humanity to create a safe and supportive classroom. It's essential to remember that your students are not just numbers and formulas, but whole individuals with their own stories and struggles. By sharing your own personal experiences, you can create a sense of comfort and vulnerability in the classroom. This can lead to a more open and supportive environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes, asking questions, and expressing themselves. By showing your humanity, you can create a space where students feel seen and heard, ultimately leading to better engagement, participation, and learning. So, don't be afraid to share your own story and be authentic with your students - it may just make all the difference in their educational journey. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Teaching, Learning, and Growing Through Grief)
Transform your math classroom by moving away from procedural teaching and towards reasoning-based learning that builds conceptual understanding. Create a thinking classroom where students engage in mathematical thinking, make sense of complex problems, and develop problem-solving skills. Use visual conceptual models to make abstract concepts more accessible and supplement the curriculum with tasks that have low-floor entry points and build connections across days. Prioritize student discourse, encouraging students to justify and explain their thinking. By doing so, you'll create a supportive learning environment that helps students overcome math anxiety and trauma, leading to increased confidence and success. (Read Teaching is a Journey: Building My Thinking Classroom)
Evolve with the times. Remember to stay adaptable and open to growth. Respect your students by acknowledging their individuality and interests and earn their respect by being knowledgeable about your material. Expect mistakes to happen and use them as opportunities to model real-world problem-solving. And finally, prioritize professional growth by staying up to date with new methods and
technologies, even in the face of unexpected challenges like pandemics. By following these tips, you'll be well-equipped to thrive in an ever-changing world and inspire a love of math in your students. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Thoughts From a Dinosaur)
Consider that your students may come from diverse cultural backgrounds and have different understandings of numbers, language, and patterns. Recognize that your own understanding may be limited by your cultural and national background. By engaging in dialogue with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and seeking out their experiences, you can gain a deeper understanding of the cultural context of math education. Be aware that number systems, math curricula, and mathematical ideas are culturally and linguistically situated, and that different cultures may have different ways of organizing information or approaching mathematical concepts. By recognizing these differences, you can enrich your teaching practices and inspire your students to do the same. (Read
Teaching Is a Journey: The Frog in the Well )
Embrace vulnerability. A key to unlocking student growth and success lies in embracing vulnerability in the classroom. This involves acknowledging that no teacher is perfect and being willing to admit and learn from shortcomings. By doing so, you can create a safe and supportive environment where students feel empowered to take risks and make mistakes, leading to genuine growth and development. It's crucial to recognize that vulnerability is not a weakness, but rather a strength that fosters trust, empathy, and a sense of community among students. By being open and transparent about your own struggles and limitations, you can model healthy vulnerability for your students, helping them develop a growth mindset and a willingness to learn from their mistakes. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Vulnerability in Our Work as Educators)
Shift the focus from teaching to educating. It’s crucial to move beyond mere knowledge transmission and focus on cultivating students' problem-solving skills and identities as mathematicians. One effective approach is to use a protocol called Math Talks, which involves discussing problem-solving strategies along six dimensions, including orientation, organization, execution, flexibility, persistence, and holistic reasoning. By using targeted questions and encouraging students to share their thought processes, you can uncover your students' strengths and help them develop a deeper understanding of math concepts. This approach not only enhances student engagement and confidence but also reveals the hidden potential within each student. By shifting the focus from teaching to educating, you can empower your students to become autonomous problem solvers and develop a more nuanced understanding of mathematics. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: Math Talks for Agency, Identity, and Ownership)
Be mindful of the messages you send. When making instructional decisions, you should be mindful of the messages you send to students about what you value in the classroom. Every decision, from naming strategies to providing supports and assigning homework, can convey a message about your beliefs about
students' abilities and what is important in mathematics. You should consider how your choices align with your values and research on effective teaching practices. For instance, using a new name for a standard algorithm may inadvertently emphasize speed over understanding, while providing a multiplication table may suggest that students lack basic fact recall. By reflecting on these decisions and adjusting them accordingly, you can ensure that your actions align with your values and promote student learning. (Read Teaching Is a Journey: What Did I Really Mean?)
Read more "Teaching Is a Journey" articles and consider writing your own experiences. Share your story and connect with other educators by submitting to
MTLT. For details on article types and how to submit, visit
Submission Guidelines.