If you REALLY want to see how much your teaching practise has changed, take this class again in 3 years! Wow, is all I can say. It went from being about me as the teacher to being about students and how they learn. I was kind of bent that way anyway that students do more for themselves in the classroom than me doing all the work for them. I am all about them stepping up to take care of themselves and learning how to problem solve.
I know, and believe people who can think and problem solve are more successful in life. These poverty students need these skills to escape generational poverty and break the cycle! This has become more for me than just a better way to teach math, meeting the Common Core Standards, or passing OAKES testing. It is enriching the lives of students , who live in some pretty grim circumstances, and enabling them to become successful members of our society.
I kept reminding myself how shell shocked I was the first year of Math Studio. I kept pinching myself because I wasn't feeling the pain and panic like I did the first year. It was a lot of nodding my head and agreeing because now I have seen the evidence of how it works in the classroom.
I was really aware how Cheryl did not "formally" introduce the math posters but constantly referred to them. They have become my buddies in the classroom. I want them to become stronger buddies this year! It wasn't until I saw how Jessica was teaching them that I jumped on the math wagon and started pointing to them, referring to them, and quoting them. This next year I am starting DAY ! using them!
The research was a good reminder for me also from this class. The Powerful Mathematical Practices were a good affirmation for me that I am doing these things. Probably not as proficiently as I want, but they are things I can get stronger in my practise. My latest reminder from an observation was the bullet,
"Attend to Precision".
I find that my math skills are from a distant past and weak so I make mistakes with the students in my definitions of math. I need to do more of "Doing the Math" and checking on every definition! I wrote a note to myself,
"You have to have all the pieces to solve the puzzle."
I need to use ALL the Habits of Mind and Interaction for my students to be successful.
We spent a lot of time on productive struggle, perseverance , and stuck points. This was one of the hardest habits to change. As a teacher we have been so indoctrinated in a positive feedback that we don't like to have our students struggle, or feel badly about anything. In order to learn and retain that knowledge, our students do need to struggle, build up stamina, and persevere. I am still working on when I keep pressing and when do I just move on?
Justification and generalizations was a very alien concept for me 3 years ago. I still struggle with both of them. I still need lots of practise pressing for these actions from my students. I still get a rush and thrill when the students actually and deliberately produce a justification and a generalization In fact I adore the way they can now think and reason. It makes this culture in my room where all the students want part of the action and will keep coming up to me to tell me the things they are making sense of in math.
Finally, I get the "Action Plan"! I have concrete things I want to work on in class! I did last year, but they were not always the things I wrote in my action plan! My biggest goal for Bridges was to do get Number Corner more consistently in class. In our PLCs (Planned Learning Communities) we used the lesson planning tool to write math goals, do the math, and plan for what our students would say or do. I really worked on listening more to my student's discourses and on selecting and sequencing the students I called upon. It was about not giving away the answers but having students bring students to the answers.
The math in the class was still not easy for me, but I was amazed at how powerful creating the story problems were for me. I want to explicitly teach more of linking the math to real life stories.
I also became aware of how I think about collaborative groups now. Peers talking to peers is sets up for learning math and retaining it. This is another area I think teachers need to embrace and " shut up". Let the students do it while we facilitate.
I have the geometry class coming up in August. I am nervous about the math. I know there will be other veterans of Math Studio there so it won't be so much of the stress. I won't be alone.
Change is good, and this has Change is good and I have some hindsight. Math Studio works, and it is what BEST for students and teachers!!
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