Professional Development

Why Error Analysis Helps Students Learn Math A key component of our curriculum and courses is error analysis . We believe—and research supports—that students make meaningful learning gains when they analyze common classroom errors . Instead of simply correcting mistakes, students examine why the mistake happened and how to avoid it in the future. This helps students develop deeper conceptual understanding and recognize common math misconceptions . But is there a specific m

What is Accessibility? Accessibility is a broad topic that can’t be covered in a single post, but here we’ll focus on a few website accessibility guidelines that also apply to classroom materials, handouts, and visuals. The overall goal of accessibility is to create things in a way that all people can access it, especially people with disabilities. However, accessibility is not just for people with disabilities. When we design things with accessibility in mind, it actually

One of the hardest years of my career was also one of the most transformational. It was my first time stepping into a leadership role,...

If you’re interested in implementing 3 Act Math or other open-ended math problems , I highly recommend the book 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions . The 5 Practices framework helps teachers plan and facilitate productive math discussions so students can share strategies, analyze mistakes, and connect mathematical ideas. In this post, I’ll walk through how I used the five practices during a linear functions lesson using the Stacking Cups activit

When teaching with students working in groups throughout an entire class period , we can’t just stand at the front of the room and lecture the whole time. If we do, students will quickly get off task. Instead, it’s important to break each lesson into smaller parts and have a plan for each part . This keeps the lesson flowing and helps maintain student engagement. When done well, group work stops being a potential classroom management challenge and instead becomes an invaluabl

Think-Pair-Share: A Powerful Strategy for Math Classroom Discussions Think-Pair-Share is probably the most common learning strategy in my classroom. But before we move on assuming we know how it works, it’s worth slowing down and really looking at what it should look like in practice. For a long time, I thought I understood Think-Pair-Share, but I didn’t truly grasp it until someone modeled the routine for me in a real classroom . When implemented well, Think-Pair-Share beco

First Day of Math Class: How I Set the Tone with Math, Group Work, and 3 Act Tasks The first day of math class sets the tone for the entire year. Instead of spending the whole period reviewing rules or handing out surveys, I want students to experience what learning will actually look like in our classroom. My main goal on day one is simple: Start doing meaningful math immediately. Throughout the first day, I model the expectations that will shape our classroom culture all y

One of the simplest ways I’ve improved relationships with students is by greeting students at the door before every class. This isn’t an original idea, but it has had a meaningful impact on the culture of my classroom. Taking a few seconds to connect with each student as they enter helps establish a positive tone before learning even begins. Here’s what this routine looks like in my classroom. 1. Greet Each Student by Name As students walk into the classroom, I greet each one

How I Create Group Seating Charts for Collaborative Classrooms In our class, we work in groups pretty much all day, every day . Because of that, seating charts aren’t just about where students sit—they’re about creating balanced groups that can support each other academically and socially . So what does a group seating chart actually look like? Here’s a blank template . Why I Use Strategic Grouping Instead of Random Groups I’m in favor of strategically choosing groups , and

This is how my classroom is set up. We work in groups all day, every day (except for assessment days). There will be another post later about how to teach with groups , but for now let’s focus on the features of this collaborative classroom setup and why it works. Why I Use Groups of Four in My Classroom 8 Groups of 4 Students My classroom is arranged into 8 groups of 4 students . I wish I could remember where I first read it, but someone once wrote about the mindset shift