Blog #16

Stay up-to-date with current research and pedagogical approaches in mathematics education to continuously refine your teaching practices.  Whether you are a new or seasoned teacher, growth means always looking for ways to refine your craft, learning new approaches, and getting creative about how to help all students be successful in your class.  There are many factors that can affect your access to kinds of professional development opportunities that will facilitate this growth:  where you teach, support from your school, personal or school finances, ability to take days off, the list goes on.  So, in this week’s blog, I am offering suggestions at various investment levels of time and money, in hopes that you may find something that works whatever your situation.

High Investment Level:  Master’s Degree Program

Cost:  Thousands of dollars

Time Commitment:  Hundreds of hours

This is an “all in” option.  But if you have the time and the means, I highly recommend enrolling in a master’s program.  I completed my Master of Arts in Mathematics with an Emphasis in Community College Teaching in 2019 at the University of Northern Iowa.  It was a two-year program specifically geared towards high school math teachers, which meant it was a mix of math courses and education courses.  It was a blended program consisting of three summers of two-week face-to-face classes and then two school years (four semesters) of online classes.  We conducted action research and wrote a paper in our final semester, and we earned enough math graduate credits to be qualified to teach at the community college level.  Although a few classes were clinkers, overall I learned A LOT from this program, and I am so glad I enrolled.  If you are interested in doing a deep dive into math teaching, I recommend doing some research into what different universities offer.  Some programs are blended, like mine, and some are completely online (most are designed to accommodate the schedule of a full-time teacher).  Some will require one class every 8 weeks, some will require 2 – 3 classes simultaneously every semester.  There are lots of options out there, you just need to find the one that best fits your needs.  But be prepared!!  You have to commit a lot of time and money to a master’s program.  Some schools may support this type of professional development with PD money, so be sure to check with your school about that possibility.  Some universities may provide scholarship money for a graduate program like this, so research that also.  In most districts, earning a master’s degree will move you up the pay scale, so the initial financial investment can pay off over time.  Just consider your current situation carefully before you start down this path.

Medium Investment Level:  Teaching Conferences

Cost:  Hundreds of dollars (depending on the conference)

Time Commitment:  1 – 3 days

In the U. S., the most well-known math teaching conferences are those sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).  There are several NCTM conferences throughout the year, focusing on different areas of mathematics education.  These conferences usually happen on a Thursday – Saturday schedule, with speakers and presentations from well-known experts in the field, as well as teachers who are in the trenches just like you.  Depending on your state, the state level of the NCTM may also offer conferences.  These are usually less expensive and usually a one-day event instead of three. 

If you teach outside of the U. S., your international school is likely a member of a regional organization that hosts teaching conferences.  When we taught in Brazil, it was ASSAA (The Association of American Schools in South America).  While we were in El Salvador, our school was a member of AASCA (The Association of American Schools in Central America), which partnered with two other organizations to host the Tri-Association Teacher’s Conference each year.  In Asia, most schools are a member of EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Schools).  EARCOS hosts an annual teacher’s conference that focuses on specific subject areas on a three-year rotation.  I have been to at least one conference offered by each of these organizations, and have always walked away with something I was excited to try in my own classroom. Check with your school administration about any regional conferences that may exist near you.

Along with the financial aspect, the tough part about attending a conference is finding the time.  But if you are able to take a day or two off from school to get to one of these conferences, I highly recommend it.  It is a wonderful way to learn and grow and refine your craft.

Medium-Low Investment Level:  Membership in NCTM

Cost: Individual membership as low at $99

Time Commitment:  A few minutes to a few hours

Even if you cannot attend an NCTM conference, I would recommend considering an NCTM membership.  For $99 a year ($59 for each of 2 years if you are a new member), you get access to an online mathematics teachers’ journal, a cornucopia of classroom resources, and discounts on NCTM products.  You will also receive updates on conferences, webinars (see next section), and other events hosted by NCTM.  NCTM is the leading organization for the advancement of mathematics teaching, so you can be confident that the resources are solid.  Being a member is well worth the cost if you can swing it.  Then it is up to you how much time you want to spend digging into everything NCTM has to offer.  Check it out at NCTM.org.

Low Investment Level:  Webinars, Blogs/Websites, Observations

Cost:  None

Time Commitment:  A few hours

Webinars – This is a new one for me, but in the last two months, I have attended three free webinars through Zoom.  One was presented by NCTM, previewing the new initiative for Reimagining High School Mathematics.  Another was offered by Desmos to help teachers learn how to effectively use the Activity Builder in Desmos Classroom.  The third was presented by HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing company) to discuss how we can reinvent mathematics intervention and how their Math 180 program can help meet a teacher’s intervention needs.  All three were free, and because they were presented on Zoom, it did not matter that I was joining from Vietnam.  Each was one hour long, and participants had opportunities to ask questions throughout.  These were very informative and I took away useful ideas from all three.

Blogs/Websites – There are SO MANY amazing math teacher and math enthusiasts out there in Internet-land who are sharing their ideas and activities for best practice in the classroom.  There are also many websites that are not worth the time of day.  So, to save you all a bit of time, I have sifted through a few search engine results to give you a place to start.

·      Let’s Play Math – Her grade range is pretty large, with elementary posts as well as secondary posts, but I really like her journal prompts.  They are interesting and thought provoking.  If you are trying to encourage more writing in your math classes, I recommend checking out her prompts.

·      Math for Love – The blog posts alternate between elementary topics and secondary topics, but the secondary topics are interesting and worth a read.  The site also offers games and lessons for free, but not sure which level these are geared for.

·      Quantamagazine – Some really interesting articles and topics in the mathematics section.

·      Math with Bad Drawings – Thought provoking topics and problems with creative presentation of solutions.

·      Math Equals Love – contains a HUGE list of resources, organized by domains (Number & Operations, Algebra & Functions, Geometry & Measurement, Probability & Statistics, Trigonometry, Calculus)

·      Marilyn Burns Math – Marilyn Burns is a well-known expert of math education.  Her website is dedicated to helping teachers teach math, and contains blogs, podcasts and videos to help you become the best possible teacher you can be.

Certainly, there are many others, but this list will give you great ideas that you can use in your classroom to enhance your teaching and encourage your students as they journey along their math path.

Observations – When I did my student teaching, many, many moons ago, my cooperating teacher arranged for me to go and observe other teachers during the final two days of my assignment at that school.  I watched another math teacher, a science teacher and an English teacher, and I learned SO MUCH from them.  Ever since, I try whenever possible to visit my colleague’s classes (with their permission) to observe and learn.  I do not limit my observations to just math teachers.  I can learn a lot from teachers of other subject areas as well, and with a little creativity, can adapt many of their ideas to the math classroom.  This is a no-cost, accessible way to grow in your teaching by collaborating with and/or observing other highly effective teachers at your school.  Reach out to someone you admire and ask if you may sit in on a class.  You will be amazed at what you can learn to inform your own teaching.

So there you have it.  Depending on what you are able to invest into your professional growth (and it is ok if you are in a season where the answer to that is “not much”), hopefully you can find something on this list that is reasonable and can fit your situation as well as your needs.  Never stop learning, and bring your best to the classroom for your students.  Until next week…