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    Problem Solvers

    Teacher leader teams with content specialist to strengthen math instruction

    By Learning Forward
    Categories: Coaching, Implementation, Teacher leadership
    February 2015
    In early November 2013, I (Sara) started talking to Christy about visiting the Hurley School. I felt that the Hurley had spent considerable time transitioning to the Common Core State Standards on literacy, but little time addressing the shifts in math. I worried that our math classes were no longer rigorous enough to meet these more demanding standards. Christy and I decided that she would do a round of observations in K-8 classrooms, specifically on the types of questions that teachers were asking students during math class. I created a schedule for her to visit classrooms for 20-minute intervals to see as many grades as possible and arranged for her to meet with Jen Muhammad, the math facilitator and 4th-grade teacher, and me to plan

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    Authors

    Sara Zrike and Christine Connolly

    Sara Zrike (szrike3@bostonpublicschools.org) is a teacher leader at Hurley K-8 School and Christine Connolly (cconnolly@bostonpublicschools.org) is director of Network E Academics for Boston Public Schools.

    In fall 2013, Boston Public Schools math content specialist Christine (Christy) Connolly met with the principal of the Hurley School, a dual-language school in Boston, Massachusetts. The principal outlined the strengths and needs for mathematics instruction in the school and possible areas of concern. She then asked Connolly to meet with teacher leader Sara Zrike to create a plan to improve instruction.
    What follows is Zrike’s story.

    Recommendations for the Hurley School

    Unpack the math standards by grade level.

    Consider how the Common Core’s Standards for Mathematical Practice are evident and are planned for during student learning.

    Use formative assessment as a way to inform practice day-to-day.

    Encourage staff to participate in professional learning when possible.

    — Christine Connolly

    Common Planning Time Agenda

    Mathematical questioning at the Hurley K-8Big question:

    How can we facilitate rigorous student conversation, as opposed to teacher-to-student conversation, through the types of questions we ask?
    The data show:In five out of 10 classes, teacher talk was more frequent than student talk.

    In three out of 10 classes, students offered comments and questions regarding other students’ work without prompting.

    In seven out of 10 classes, teachers asked questions in back-and-forth style.

    In three out of 10 classrooms, teachers illuminated misconceptions as learning opportunities (i.e. found errors that are common and had a discussion).
    Agenda:Establish connections between this work and the Massachusetts State Frameworks for Mathematics, including the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

    Sort questions from Ms. Muhammad’s math lesson.

    What did you notice?

    How did you sort? Why?

    How is this connected to the article “Questioning our patterns of questioning.”

    Discuss the article “Questioning our patterns of questioning.”

    Aha! moments.

    What types of questions do you think you ask in your classroom?

    Identify the types of questions in Hurley School classrooms.

    One color = funneling questions; another color = focusing questions.

    What did you notice about questioning at the Hurley?

    Practice rewriting funneling questions as focusing questions.

    How can these questions be rewritten to encourage student-to-student discourse, extend mathematical thinking, and allow students to learn from misconceptions?

    Where do we go from here?

    What are the implications from this article and these activities for your own teaching?

    What is one takeaway?

    References

    Herbal-Eisenmann, B. & Breyfogle, L. (2005). Questioning our patterns of questioning. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 10(9), 484-489.

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    Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

    Categories: Coaching, Implementation, Teacher leadership

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