Heinemann Blog

What Does Excellent Mathematics Teaching Look Like?

Written by Digital Editor | Jul 13, 2015 4:02:28 AM

At this year’s National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) conference, Heinemann authors Sue O’Connell, Steve Leinwand, Cathy Fosnot, Max Ray-Riek, and June Mark held a special event with mathematics specialists and leaders to discuss the goal of math education today, the importance of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, and the kinds of effective instructional shifts teachers can make in their classrooms.

In the first clip from this event, Cathy Fosnot, June Mark, and Sue O’Connell reflect on what excellent mathematics teaching looks like, including:

  • the importance of mentoring students as they transition from inefficient to more fluent strategies
  • helping students to expect mathematics to make sense
  • the language we use to develop deep mathematical thinking.

Watch the full clip below:

 

Next Monday, Cathy, Steve, June, and Max discuss how the Standards for Mathematical Practice impact instruction.

To read more from master educators and leaders in the field about the Standards for Mathematical Practice, check out our recent blog series unpacking each of the eight Practice Standards.

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Cathy Fosnot (@ctfosnot) is Professor Emerita of Education at the City College of New York and the founder of Mathematics in the City, a national center for professional development. She currently directs New Perspectives on Learning and is the author of the Young Mathematicians at Work series and the Contexts for Learning Mathematics program.

June Mark is a Project Director in the Teaching and Learning Division at Education Development Center (@EDCtweets). She is coauthor of Making Sense of Algebra and the Transition to Algebra program.

Sue O’Connell (@SueOConnellMath) is a nationally known speaker and education consultant who directs Quality Teacher Development. She is the coauthor of the bestselling Putting the Practices Into Action and the Mastering the Basic Math Facts series.