The Mathematics Proficiency Guide for Teachers of Adult Education* is one of several companion pieces to the MA Professional Standards for Teachers of Adult Education. The Math Proficiency Guide is designed to inform the practice of new, developing, and advanced instructors who teach math to adult learners.
This virtual course will provide participants with practical ways to learn from and implement the material in the Math Proficiency Guide to improve their own math instruction. The course is designed for both new and experienced adult education math instructors.
The instructional strategies and ideas presented in this course are appropriate for all levels of math classes, whether your students are native English speakers or ESOL learners. The material is also designed to identify ways to make math instruction more equitable and culturally responsive for diverse student populations and communities.
* Please note the version of the Guide used in the course (May 2021) is pending final approval from ACLS. The most recent approved version is available here.
Comments from previous participants:
The course “provides teachers with tools to become a more effective and successful math teacher.” It also gave this instructor more confidence and motivation to help his adult students.
A long-time math instructor noted, “In this course, I was able to learn more about how teachers and students should interact in the classroom to encourage learning. I also learned that adult learners are more willing to participate in the discussion when teachers respect and take into consideration their ideas and strategies when solving a math problem.”
- All adult education math practitioners, novice or experienced, who serve native-English-speaking and ESOL learners
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
This course consists of six modules:
- Self-Assessment with the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers of Adult Education
- Student Engagement
- High Expectations and Meeting Diverse Needs
- Student Ownership and Lifelong Learning
- Reflect, Prioritize, Set Goals, and Draft a Plan
- Course Closure
The estimated time to complete this asynchronous, self-paced online course is eight hours. You will have four weeks from the start date to complete all requirements. We encourage you to complete only one module in a single study period. Completing all the modules in one sitting would defeat the purpose of the course, which is to have you seriously and deeply reflect on the effectiveness of your own teaching practice.
By the end of this course, you will have completed seven self-assessments of your current knowledge and skills using checklists of what effective math teachers know and do. Based on those assessments, you will identify goals and draft a professional learning plan for yourself. You are encouraged to choose a coach (or request a coach from the SABES Math and Adult Numeracy Curriculum & Instruction PD Center) to assist you with that work. Guidance on finding a coach is provided in the course.
To receive full credit for the course, you must:
- Complete all the activities within each module
- Submit a draft set of goals and a professional learning plan
- Complete a course evaluation
Upon satisfactory completion of the course, eight professional development hours will be recorded for you in LACES, and you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.
- Use self-assessments from the Mathematical Proficiency Guide to review your own effectiveness as a math instructor
- Develop one or two goals related to your own professional growth as an adult educator based on the results of your self-assessments.
- Draft a professional learning plan that takes into consideration your self-assessments as well as your students’ and program’s needs
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
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