A Balanced Approach to Mathematics Instruction

In NISD, we believe that mathematical proficiency is rooted in the development of five interrelated strands: conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and productive disposition. Students engage with challenging tasks that allow them to connect new learning with prior knowledge and informal reasoning, acquiring conceptual knowledge as well as procedural knowledge, so that they can meaningfully transfer and apply knowledge to new situations. Students construct knowledge socially, through discourse and collaboration, and receive descriptive and timely feedback to develop awareness of themselves as learners and monitor their learning and performance.   

We are beyond thrilled to have you join our amazing math family! We look forward to getting to know each of you as we collaborate to ensure each child reaches his/her full potential. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all. We are always happy to help! 

There are many professional learning opportunities available for you this summer! Some sessions we highly encourage you to attend are: 

Stepping Stones to Success: Mastering The Essentials of Your Math Resource 

Welcome to the world of ORIGO Stepping Stones, where curriculum planning and implementation become an engaging and rewarding adventure! In this interactive session, participants will embark on a journey designed to help new users master the essentials of this comprehensive curriculum resource. As you explore, you'll unlock valuable tools, strategies, and best practices that will enable you to successfully integrate ORIGO Stepping Stones into your classroom. From understanding key features to customizing lessons, you’ll gain hands-on experience and explore how to make the most of this powerful resource to support student learning and achievement. (This session is offered at ENGAGE.)

Guess Who? Explaining Our Math Thinking!

Before learners can write like mathematicians, they need to talk like mathematicians! This interactive session will explore the critical role of oral rehearsal in developing strong mathematical writing skills. Using the TEKS as a guide, participants will learn how to scaffold math discussions, use sentence stems to support verbal explanations, and transition students from speaking their math thinking to writing it down. Discover strategies for incorporating math journals, problem explanations, and reasoning activities that help students confidently express their ideas. Walk away with engaging tools to build a classroom where students talk, reason, and write like true mathematicians! (This session is offered at ENGAGE.)

Levelling Up Your Problem Solving

Ready to level up your math teaching? In this session, we’ll explore dynamic, game-changing strategies designed to engage students in the wonder of mathematics through active exploration and deep thinking. Using three powerful frameworks—3 Act Tasks, Numberless Word Problems, and "Which One Doesn’t Belong?"—we’ll show you how to turn problem solving into interactive challenges that build curiosity, creativity, and conceptual understanding. Like leveling up in your favorite game, each approach is a new skill that transforms how students experience math. (This session is offered at ENGAGE.)

Get acquainted with your elementary math resources!

Click on the images below to explore ORIGO Stepping Stones and Imagine Math.

Click here to access your one-stop-shop created by the Mathematics Instructional Support Team (The MIST)! Take a peek into math classrooms across the district, catch up on our latest Math Corner newsletter, and dive into helpful resources for planning and instruction. 

During the school year, you will participate in New Teacher Academy. You will be given the opportunity to visit mentor teachers' classrooms, engage in reflective practices regarding instruction, collaborate and connect with other new teachers across the district, and have additional time to plan for instruction. Dates and locations will be communicated through the curriculum department and campus administration.