Does discussion belong in math class? Yes! Talking about math leads to deeper understanding for both teachers and students. Through class discussions, teachers can gauge what their students know, and this information provides a foundation on which they can build future math instruction. Discussion helps students strengthen skills like constructing arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others—habits of mathematically proficient learners—which enables students to understand math content more deeply.
- ABE teachers at all levels of math ability and comfort
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
In this workshop, we will use sample classroom dialogue to identify expectations that we communicate to students. We will consider how a safe environment and valuing students as learners influences the depth of conversation in the classroom. With a partner, you will practice focusing on student thinking, asking open questions, capitalizing on student curiosity, and finding what’s right in students’ thinking in order to build mathematical understanding from their ideas.
Please note: About one week before the event, registrants will receive a separate email from the SABES Math Team at TERC (sherry_soares@terc.edu) with instructions on how to access the Zoom session.
- Communicate to students that reasoning, logic, and strategy-sharing are more valuable ways to learn math than just getting an answer
- Select math problems for your students that communicate your learning expectations and values
- Respond to incorrect answers by starting with what learners know and building from there
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
