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Elements of Practice 1
What does the research say?Elements of Practice 1
Math Teaching Practice #1: Establish goals to focus learning
Math Teaching Practice #1: Establish goals to focus learning
Effective teaching of mathematics establishes clear goals for the mathematics that students are learning, situates goals within learning progressions, and uses the goals to guide instructional decisions.
Caution! Don't over-estimate your own understanding based on these brief descriptions of teaching practice. Professional educators should dig more deeply into NCTM's resources, join study groups and professional networks, and seek out professional development and coaching to ensure high-quality engagement in the practice.
Investigate
Why does the practice work?Investigate
One of the ways NCTM (2014, p. 16) summarizes the practice of establishing mathematics goals to focus learning is by describing a set of actions expected of teachers and students that indicate engagement in this teaching practice.
When setting mathematics learning goals, keep these tips in mind:
When teachers use goal setting as a strategy, students can self-monitor their progress and take ownership of their learning when they have clear learning goals to work towards.
Clear goals and small steps toward larger goals provide evidence to both the students and teachers that they need to continue to demonstrate that they achieved their goals, understand any misconceptions, and work together toward the learning goal.
When students understand their goals and know how to work towards their goals, they can make greater connections not only with the learning goals, but with the learning activities and assessment tasks.
Learning goals can actively engage students in identifying strengths and areas for improvement of their own learning to frame future learning goals, understandings, and aspirations.
Consider establishing success criteria from the intended learning target:
Graphic from: https://www.bigideaslearning.com/blog/using-learning-targets-and-success-criteria-in-big-ideas-math
Graphic from: https://slideplayer.com/slide/16457668/
In a time when many of us are relying on students to be more independent, one of the best ways we can support them is to be clear about:
What they are learning
What success looks like
What they can use to measure their progress along the way
Explore
How might this practice work in our classroom?Explore
In generating Learning Intentions, teachers should avoid:
Repeating the Learning Intention in the Success Criteria
Describing the task as the Learning Intention
Naming the end product as the Learning Intention
Giving the specific number of right answers you want
Having more than one Learning Intention with every Success Criteria
Additional tips when using Learning Intentions:
Learning Intentions should be shared at the beginning of a lesson. They should also be referred to throughout the lesson and again at the conclusion.
Learning Intentions provide a tool to assist in focusing on the importance of 'tuning in'; building on where learners are in their learning when introducing the Learning Intention. This includes setting the scene and explaining why we are learning this while linking to what is known.
Learning Intentions should be written in student‐friendly language, in a way that actively engages students in the learning process.
Use of Learning Intentions should put greater emphasis on the process of learning over the completion of a task or the end product.
They should be meaningful and inform assessment and reporting and linked to curriculum outcomes.
Graphic from: https://jplgough.blog/ll2lu-learning-progressions-smp/ll2lu-learning-progressions-nctmp2a/
Reflect
How might we see ourselves and our practice in the research?Reflect
Using the table below, reflect and assess the actions you believe are evident in your practice. Then, think about how students experience learning in your classroom. Are there student actions evident in your practice?
How do the goals fit with my unit plan and lesson plans?
The goals are clear and articulate the mathematics that students are learning. We knew we wanted students to take the transformations beyond just a simple movement. We wanted them to understand the relationship between the image and preimage points.
The goals fit within the learning progression. This was the first lesson in the unit. We had to build upon the 8th grade standards.
The goals were explicitly stated throughout the lesson to focus student work. During the lesson, we had to emphasize the goal multiple times. This helped to clarify with students how we expected their understanding of transformations to extend beyond the movement. Students were to explore the properties and develop definitions.
The goals guided the planning and decisions made during instruction. This task could be used to accomplish a variety of goals. It was critical that we have a clear understanding of student learning.
Resources
Resources
How might we continue to learn about this practice?
How might we continue to learn about this practice?
Principles to Action: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM, 2014, pp. 12-16)
Taking Action: Implementing Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices in K-Grade 5 (NCTM, 2017, pp. 17-35)
Taking Action: Implementing Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices in Grades 6-8 (NCTM, 2017, pp. 15-27)
Taking Action: Implementing Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices in Grades 9-12 (NCTM, 2017, pp. 15-27)
Enhancing Classroom Practice with Research behind Principles to Actions (NCTM, 2017, pp. 1-11)
Catalyzing Change in Middle School Mathematics (NCTM, 2020, pp. 59)
Video: 5 Principles for Teaching Math
Connections to the High Leverage Practices
Connections to the High Leverage Practices
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