Frequently Asked Questions
How can I help my child come to math prepared each day?
- Please encourage your child to bring the following to class:
- Mathematical curiosity
- Willingness to persevere
- Respectful attitude
- Pencil(s)
- Eraser
- Missing assignments (to receive late credit)
- Helping your child go through their backpack on a nightly basis will ensure they are prepared for the next day!
- Mathematics, at its core, is problem solving. It is a web of interconnected ideas that has been changing and evolving for thousands of years. From the earliest known Greek mathematicians, like Archimedes and Pythagoras, to the modern age of computers (which run on mathematical principles), humans have been using mathematics to solve problems since around 35,000 BCE.
- What does all this mean for middle school students today?
It means that doing well in mathematics is actually learning how to be a good problem solver. In many traditional mathematics curricula, students prioritize using pre-created formulas to answer specific types of questions (e.g. one-step equations or single-digit division). However, when students learn mathematics as problem solving, they learn to look at all angles of a situation, assess what is happening & what might be needed, make a decision about how best to proceed, and finally, test out their ideas. - Through this experience, they learn to solve different types of math problems by applying a variety of approaches. This gives students greater confidence to see math problems as surmountable challenges as they learn to skillfully break apart unique situations into different pieces and assess what is really being asked of them. This is the magic and the dual benefit of learning mathematics as problem solving, because when we do, we can take these skills with us into so many other aspects of our lives.
- What does it look like to do well in middle school mathematics?
It looks like exploration, experimentation, struggle, inquiry, and so much more. Students who do well in mathematics are: open to new ideas and ways of thinking; curious about how numbers work; invested in their own and others’ growth; willing to try, fail, and try again; self-motivated to cultivate their problem-solving skills; and able to self-assess and self-reflect. - Click here to read more: Make or Break, Why Middle School Math Counts
- In this digital, information-rich world, your child's job as a middle school mathematics student is not simply to memorize formulas, procedures, or processes. Instead, your child's job to do whatever they can to become the best problem solver they can be. This means exploring all the resources and opportunities available to them (in our classroom, online, and at home) as they figure out which tools they personally need in their toolbox. It also means being open to new ideas, curious about mathematics, and invested in their own personal growth.
- Their job involves coming to know who they are as a learner, seeking out the help they need when they need it, and being willing to try, fail, and try again (many, many times). They must remember that the teacher is only one source of knowledge available to them, out of so many – and they must believe in themselves and their ability to grow through continuous effort and reflection.
- School is an impermanent support system – it has an eventual end date. Therefore, the time students spend in school must prepare them to successfully enter and thrive in the world outside of school – academically, socially, emotionally, and professionally. The middle school years, when students transition from children to young adults, is integral to this success. During this time, they are learning to engage in metacognition (i.e. think about their thinking), beginning to think about their futures, and are open to new ways of thinking and being.
- This means that my role as their teacher, is to help them develop their budding abilities to self-reflect, to problem solve, to determine what they are needing day-to-day (academically, socially, and emotionally), and to build a toolbox of strategies to help themselves once they know what they are needing. If they can learn these skills in middle school, they will have them for the rest of their lives (in high school and college, and later in their careers and relationships).
- Therefore, my job in the classroom is to act as a sensitive and supportive guide for students as they learn how to support themselves. In today’s digital world, where an incredible amount of information is readily available in so many different formats (i.e. websites, apps, books, movies, teachers, etc.), students have access to several resources to help and support themselves, whether the support they are needing is academic, emotional, or social.
- Teachers are only one source of knowledge and support in today’s modern world. What my job is now, in 2019-20, is to be more of a facilitator; someone who helps students make sense of their experiences, assess problems, discover resources, and synthesize their knowledge.
- What does it mean to be a teacher-facilitator?
It means providing scaffolding for students as they learn how to support themselves in this digital, globally-connected world. Just as a builder needs to decide which tools to put in their toolbox when they go to a job site, students need to create their own toolbox based on their own personal needs. Of course, we don’t learn on our own, or all at once, which tools are available or needed in every situation. We learn over time, and with the support of others – as a teacher-facilitator, I strategically guide this process. - How do you facilitate students’ growth?
My job is to scaffold students’ development of their own toolboxes. I do this in many ways, from the design of my website, to the curriculum we use in class, to the setup of my classroom – all are done with the intention of providing a support system to students as they learn to understand themselves and their needs, and to gather the resources available to them in their toolbox. In particular, I have designed my website as a model for creating a personal toolbox, which includes videos, websites, apps, notes, Google Drive folders, frequently asked questions, reminders, and more. Everything that students need to know to be successful in this class is available on my website – no secrets, no uncertainty. It is all here, so that students may access what they need, precisely when they individually need it. - Similarly, my classroom and curriculum are set up to guide students through the cycle of self-reflection, inquiry, experimentation, and assessment. During each phase, they have access to a myriad of resources, vetted by me, to support their learning and development as problem solvers. Over the course of our time together, my goal is for each student to know how to move through this cycle with ease, and to build their own toolbox of resources that they can pull from at any time.
- It is very important to me for homework to be beneficial for my students, and not an extra burden. This intentionally puts each student in the driver's seat of their own learning and asks them to step into the responsibility of being in middle school.
- The expectation is for your child to spend at least 100 minutes practicing mathematics on their own throughout the week, which means they very likely will not have homework to complete each day. Our homework minutes are designed to assist students in developing a consistent routine of focused mathematics practice -- a crucial academic habit that will serve them throughout middle school, and beyond. (My recommendation is for your child to choose 4 afternoons between Saturday and Thursday to complete at least 25 minutes of homework practice.)
- Students may use our classroom homework tracking sheet to keep track of their weekly minutes, or they may use any other method that works for them. Should they choose Option 1 and/or Option 3, I will be able to assess their online homework completion by checking time records on Khan Academy and Freckle Education.
- If students complete written work for Homework Option 2 and Option 4, they will pass in these assignments on Friday morning (with the number of homework minutes spent written on the assignment). More details can be found on the homework information page.
- The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is...
- In order to develop a true picture of each student's mathematical comprehension, it is important for me to see what they can do on their own. I understand that some students may feel more comfortable working with one of their classmates (because we do a lot of collaboration in class, as well). If this does occur, please help to ensure that your child can still explain their work in their own words.
- Yes – I'm so glad you asked! Your at-home support will propel your child to reach great success throughout the school year. In the comfort and safety of a trusted home environment, students have the opportunity to slow down and talk through the concepts, ideas, and strategies they have been practicing at school.
- Using Illustrative Mathematics Family Materials as a foundation to support an at-home extension of learning is where I recommend all families begin. Encouraging open-ended, curious conversation about mathematics will support your child in so many ways. In fact, I regularly witness students who are given the time and space to refine their thinking at home, through lively conversation with family members, return to the classroom with a noticeable boost in their confidence and a heightened eagerness to tackle new challenges.
- BONUS -- When students document the mathematical conversations that come from an investigation of Illustrative Mathematics Family Materials, they earn weekly credit toward their completion of 90 homework minutes!
- If an absence can be predicted ahead of time, please send me an email with specific anticipated dates so that assignments may be sent home prior to the absence.
- If an unexpected absence occurs, missed assignments are organized by day in the "STUDENT" file drawer in our classroom. It is each student's responsibility to make up missed assignments after an absence, which are due by the end of the school week. (Please email me if special arrangements need to be made.)
- All missed assignments become additional homework for your child, so I encourage students who miss a day of school to stay with me during lunch upon their return to review what they missed.
- If an absence occurs on the day an assignment is due, your child will be expected to pass in the assignment on the day they return to school.
- The foundation of our classroom's problem-based curriculum is built from Illustrative Mathematics, the most highly rated EdReports.org middle school mathematics program. Illustrative Mathematics is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where learners know, use, and enjoy mathematics.
- Other conceptual math tasks are sometimes used in the classroom, as well. The list below includes a few of my favorite resources to pull from:
- The Critical Thinking Co.
- Here is a link to their online playroom with demo games your child can try at home.
- These are used mainly as closing activities for the class period.
- NRICH: Enriching Mathematics
- STEM Learning SMILE Cards
- The Critical Thinking Co.
- In our classroom, knowledge is co-constructed as students move along their individual learning trajectories. And thanks to the model of complex instruction, students have a structured way to explore ideas and investigate their questions in a strong, collaborative learning community.
- The four tenets of complex instruction are: group roles, multi-dimensional classroom, assigning competence, and student responsibility.
- Essentially this model of instruction assures a purposeful approach to high-level teaching that promotes an open, inclusive, classroom environment and effectively draws upon the collective resources of all students involved. With the help of their classmates, students learn to ask good questions, propose ideas, connect different methods, and reason through different representations and pathways. Through taking responsibility for the learning taking place in the classroom, they also develop a more substantial understanding of what it means to be successful in math.
- From Elizabeth Cohen, PhD, developer of Complex Instruction: "To meet the challenge of heterogeneous classrooms, it is necessary for students to use each other as resources; tasks for small groups should require multiple abilities; and teachers need to know how to ensure that each student makes an important intellectual contribution to the group."
- When much of education today is fueled by extrinsic rewards and milestones, mindfulness teaches students to look within themselves -- not only to better understand how their mind pieces together thoughts and ideas, but also to reveal and clarify what motivates them to learn in the first place.
- When students learn to quiet their minds in moments of high stress, their capacity to learn new material expands and their self-esteem climbs. In a math classroom, this is paramount to their continued success.
- If you are interested in reading more about the connection between mindfulness and mathematics education, please follow this link.
- Here is another useful document that serves as an introduction to the four components of our classroom curriculum.
- Games are an effective way to teach mathematics and motivate students to learn. Carefully selected games strengthen students' development of problem solving strategies and reinforce skills being learned in class, making them a vital aspect of meaningful achievement and success in mathematics.
- During game play, students have ample opportunity to practice the skill of mathematical argumentation, further supporting and enhancing their ability to "construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others" (Common Core Mathematical Practice 3) in a structured and safe learning environment.
- Students are also expected reflect on their time spent playing games with questions such as:
- What skill(s) did you review and practice?
- What strategies did you use while playing the game?
- If you play the game again, what strategies might you change to be more successful?
- Is there a way to make the game more challenging or engaging?
- If you are interested in reading more about the application of mathematical skills through game play, please follow the links below:
- Mathematical argumentation is the foundation of the third standard for mathematical practice.
- It is a social practice that makes meaning of mathematics through storytelling. To help these mathematical stories come alive, students ask big questions, make bold statements, and break apart complex ideas to explore new ideas and thought pathways. Using the structure of mathematical argumentation, students learn to form conjectures, construct arguments, and justify their thinking to both strengthen and deepen their mathematical proficiency.
- The environment in which students engage with their learning and with one another is just as important to me as the academic content that is being taught. Flexible seating is one major representation of how our classroom invites and inspires student choice, creativity, and collaboration.
- If you are interested in reading an example of the research that has linked flexible seating in the classroom to improved student learning, please follow this link.
- You may send me an email at [email protected] at any time. I love when families are involved and want to work as a team to ensure success for their child.