Opening Classrooms to Colleagues:Creating Opportunities for Collegial Interactions Focused on Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Presented by:Valerie Daniel, Elementary Math Learning Site CoordinatorAngel Petrie, In-House Math Coach, Richard J. Murphy SchoolLinda Ruiz Davenport, Director of Elementary MathematicsBoston Public Schools, Boston, Massachusetts

This effort is funded in part by the National Science Foundation

Boston Elementary Math Plan Adoption of Investigations in Number, Data, and

Space and other related resource material; Development and institutionalization of end-of-

unit, mid-year, and end-of year formative assessments at each grade level;

Creation of a scope and sequence pacing guide; Teacher participation in curriculum institutes,

Developing Mathematical Ideas seminars, and other optional offerings;

Administrator participation in Lenses on Learning courses and other optional offerings; and

School-based math coach support.

Roles of Elementary Math Coaches• Meeting monthly with Math Leadership Teams to

examine math teaching and learning and plan next steps;

• Facilitating monthly grade level team planning and debriefing meetings and looking at student work sessions;

• Facilitating visits to each other’s classrooms with structured pre-visit and post-visit discussions;

• Providing one-on-one coaching support to individual teachers; and

• Meeting regularly with the principal to discuss priorities for math coaching in the school.

Opening Classrooms to Colleagues

Who Participates? Host teacher who has worked with the math

coach to prepare for hosting the visit; Grade-level and cross-grade-level colleagues

who want to learn more about math teaching and learning in other classrooms;

Principal in a non-evaluative mode who also wants to learn more about math teaching and learning; and

Math coach who facilitates the discussions that take place during the visit.

Opening Classrooms to Colleagues

Pre-visit discussion45-60 minutes

Classroom visit 60 minutes

Post-visit discussion45-60 minutes

Facilitated Pre-visit Discussion

Doing the math of the lesson;

Examining the lesson itself; Anticipating how students

will engage in the lesson; and

Discussing the goals the host teacher has for the lesson.

Pre-Visit Focus Questions

1. What are the mathematical ideas of the lesson?

2. How do these ideas connect to important ideas of the unit?

3. How do we think students will engage with the math content of the lesson? What do we think might be challenging for them?

4. What do we want to pay attention to as we watch students work with this content?

Classroom Visit

Lesson may be taught by coach, coach and host teacher, or host teacher; and

Visitors sit with students to observe and take notes on their thinking once the lesson has gotten underway.

Facilitated Post-visit Discussion

How did students engage in the math of the lesson?

What did they seem to understand? Where did they struggle? What is the evidence?

What might be the next steps for this class?

What will you keep in mind as you return to your own classrooms?

Post-Visit Focus Questions

1. How did the students engage in the mathematics?

2. Was it in the way we imagined? If not, why?

3. What did they seem to understand? Where did they struggle? What is the evidence?

4. What might be next steps for this class?

Goals for Opening Classrooms to Colleagues Examining the mathematics content of a lesson; Discussing how we think about the mathematics ourselves

and how we might expect students to engage with the mathematics;

Observing students during a lesson with a focus on how they engage with the mathematics and how the teacher is supporting that engagement;

Discussing what students learned, the evidence of their learning, and teacher moves that appeared to support their learning; and

Experiencing a protocol that supports teacher planning and reflection.

“I was very impressed by the clarity with which the children explained their thinking, and the questioning and pacing (the teacher) demonstrated. I will think about my own pacing and questions that can move my students to express their thinking more deeply.”

“I found it interesting to see how the children who did not volunteer their thinking process still had rich ideas. I often worry that those who don’t share are not grasping the idea.”

“[These visits] allow me to hear about my students from my colleagues and sit back and reflect on my students’ mathematical ideas.”

“I find myself being more aware of the mathematical emphasis for each lesson and I have become aware of different aspects I should concentrate on.”

“It made me a better teacher. I teach with a focus and a knowledge I didn’t have before.”

“These [visits] help teachers feel less alienated and more part of a teaching team.”

Math Coach Reflections . . .“[These visits] allow me to build stronger alliances

with teachers as we look together at what students are doing, understanding, and are confused by.

“[These visits] allow me to help teachers develop content knowledge via the unit but also through placing the mathematical ideas we see into a broader learning trajectory that encompasses a few years.

“[These visits] allow teachers to connect to one another through mathematics. Often these visits cultivate more incidental math conversations in buildings.

“[These visits] allow teachers to learn from one another.”

Math Coach Reflections . . .

“I think one of THE most important things is that teachers get a chance to see someone else’s practice in action. Teachers sometimes think they want someone, such as a math coach, to tell them what to do, but actually, I have rarely had teachers benefit from my telling them what to do. Rather, it is through skillful conversation with teachers that I can do my best work and teachers often do their best reflecting.”

Math Coach Reflections . . .

“Focusing on children is critical. . . . Teachers love hearing and seeing another teacher making decisions. They love seeing another teacher’s environment. It stimulates their own thinking about a classroom. But it is the conversation about children’s ideas that makes the whole experience exciting. Everyone participates and everyone can gather around children. This entry point makes it most possible that adult learning can happen — defenses are down, openness is up.”

Opening Classrooms to Colleagues:Creating Opportunities for Collegial Interactions Focused on Mathematics Teaching and LearningContact information:

Linda Ruiz Davenport, Director of Elementary MathematicsBoston Public Schoolsldavenport@boston.k12.ma.us

Valerie Daniel, Learning Site Coordinator of Elementary MathematicsBoston Public Schoolsvdaniel@boston.k12.ma.us

Angel Petrie, In-House Math Coach, Richard J. Murphy SchoolBoston Public Schoolsapetrie@boston.k12.ma.us