Every student in the classroom contributes to the learning of the classroom as a whole.

The skills students bring into the classroom are more than just math skills, they bring in lived experience and unique perspectives. Because of this, collaboration is central to the learning environment. Learners in my classroom are also teachers.

Math is a subject about more than procedural skills; it is problem solving. In my classroom, students are expected to engage with one another to develop an understanding of math concepts. During a typical class, students will be presented with a problem and will rely on their intuition and past experiences to solve it. Recognizing patterns within their problem solving will lead them to developing shortcuts that mathematicians use.

In my classroom, students take ownership of their learning by monitoring progress toward learning objectives and standards. Through this they are able to evaluate their growth. Reteach and reach opportunities are central to my teaching methodology. Monitoring progress cannot improve student outcomes unless students are given the opportunity to take action. Reach opportunities give students the chance to further their knowledge of a concept. Reteach opportunities allow students to revisit concepts they have an incomplete understanding of.

Mistakes are another way students improve their learning. When a mistake comes from good mathematical thinking, we can leverage that thinking along with clarification to arrive at a complete understanding.

My teaching is constantly improving and being influenced from research and those I frequently work with. Both my teaching teams and students continue to improve my ways of thinking and doing in the classroom. Students often bring ideas or new ways of thinking into my classroom that improve my pedagogy. 

In all, learning happens as a team and something isn’t finished being taught until it has been internalized by learners. The classroom is a unit. We work together as a team to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and create a safe space where all students bring something to the table.