How we’re shifting math instruction in our school community
As a student, I was trained to have a very procedural approach to math. It wasn’t until I taught third grade that I realized I needed to think more flexibly. I knew I needed coaching to help me make the shift. I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. Many of us grew up learning […]
Why co-teaching is at the heart of my math coaching practice
One of the pillars of my math coaching practice is my belief that the best coaching happens in the moment. In teaching, we have those opportunities for “just in time” direct instruction with students: When a student expresses a misconception, we jump right in and clear it up so the student’s learning can continue moving forward. This concept shapes the way I approach coaching as well, and it’s why I try to co-teach with every educator I coach.
4 instructional coaching strategies for math teams
As a math coach and education administrator at the county level, I collaborate with leaders and teachers to support mathematics instruction across 23 districts. Every school has its own unique culture, students and staff, and when the collaboration with a school leader begins, I build their instructional leadership priorities into our plans (such as supporting […]
It’s time to mathematize our schools
As a math curriculum specialist working with teachers and school leaders, I find that principals are sometimes a bit apprehensive when it comes to math. Feeling hesitant in a subject that you are not comfortable with is natural. It is what we do with that uneasiness that makes all the difference. School leaders like you […]
3 keys to humanity-first instructional leadership in math
Just like my students, my teachers are approaching the teaching of mathematics from so many backgrounds, different levels of experience and awareness.
How I build math mindsets into my school culture
When I joined my K-8 school community a few years ago, our students were, on average, in the 18th percentile in math achievement. These days, despite all the disruptions and traumas they’ve experienced during pandemic learning, our students are demonstrating mastery at and beyond the 40th percentile, with more and more students in the 90th […]
How I encourage every student to become a “math person”
I’m the principal of a K-8 school serving students and families in a high-poverty community. When I first joined my school community, we were on the brink of closing. But in the last few years, my team and I have empowered our students to grow from the 18th percentile in math to reach and surpass […]