June, July, and August are not “off” for teachers

Courtney LaRoche

Wayzata Public Schools; MCTM VP Middle School

As we know, there are no technical fixes to getting kids to learn math.  Middle school students are complex beings, and can be challenging to engage in anything, especially mathematics.  We, as teachers, are able to assess this current reality with our students and identify a desired state of engagement, but are not always sure how to get there with each and every student.

As middle school teachers, we ask ourselves every day, how are we going to get there?  This need for adaptive change calls for us to grow as educators.  Grow in our math content knowledge, grow in our understanding of students and their thinking, and grow in our ways to support student learning.  Kristin Gray in her 12 minute NCTM talk titled, “Be Genuinely Curious” https://vimeo.com/128182893, reminds us that curiosity is key to growing as educators and impacting the achievement of our students.   Growth means change.  Change means getting closer and closer to that desired reality with our students.

As we all know, “June, July, and August” are not “off” for teachers.  Although not with students, teachers often engage in a lot of unofficial self-guided professional development over the summer.  This reflection time provides the opportunity to get ready for the year ahead.  As you reflect on the year you just finished and anticipate the year ahead, I encourage you to take on Kristin’s call to action and start a math journal.

I also encourage you to be curious about what’s happening in other classrooms to support math learning. Try Twitter! Twitter has become a place for me to connect and hear about the growth and change happening in classrooms from teachers around the world. Check out #MSMathChat if you need a place to get started.  Be curious!  It’s contagious….pass it on!

Who do you follow on Twitter that peaks your curiosity?  Post in the comment section to share with others.