Be Innovative - Mathematics

• Directly connect long-range plans, lesson plans, and reporting to current curriculum expectations

  • educators consult the Ministry Curriculum and Resources website (K-8 and 9-12) regularly to ensure alignment

  • educators consult teacher supports on OCSB Math Websites, OCSB supported resources on Staff portal ex. MathUP (K-9)

• Engage in ongoing professional learning on the curriculum, including making connections across strands

  • use classroom observations, Professional Learning Community ex. Buddy days, Department and staff meetings, Lunch and learns, Book clubs, In school collaborative learning teams and inter school collaborations, PD opportunities (Leading and Learning Journeys, Summer Institutes, Summer Writing Projects)

• Make intentional staffing decisions to ensure teachers of key grades have deep understanding of the curriculum, including understanding instructional practices to effectively teach and assess curriculum concepts and skills

• Draw explicit connections to and between mathematical processes and in lesson planning and use proven instructional and assessment practices

  • • use High-Impact Instructional Practices: Learning Goals, Success Criteria, and Descriptive Feedback; Direct Instruction; Problem-Solving Tasks and Experiences and Teaching about Problem Solving; Tools and Representations; Math Conversations; Small-Group Instruction; Deliberate Practice; Flexible Groupings 

Math Look Fors (SAP and MAAP)

• • • use resources that support the implementation of mathematical processes and High-Impact Instructional Practices, such as MathUP

• Connect instruction and assessment to curriculum expectations and long-term essential mathematical understandings using developmental continuums (1-8 Number, 1-8 Algebra, 1-8 Data, 1-8 Spatial Sense, 1-8 Financial Literacy, 7-8-9 Alignment)

• Use a variety of assessment tools to inform next steps in curriculum implementation. For example,

• just in time diagnostics to identify student prior knowledge (available in MathUP, Zorbit’s, Magma, Mathspace)

• conversations and observations, in addition to products

• teacher prompts on the Curriculum and Resources website (K-8 and 9-12)

• formative assessment to inform lesson planning in response to student needs

• Collaborate with OCSB Math Student Success Team (consultants and learning partners) to identify school/division/grade mathematics content knowledge focus areas, including planning and monitoring associated professional learning

• Engage in regular collaborative meetings to deepen knowledge of mathematics, curriculum, instructional starting points,

and interventions

• encourage team teaching, collaborative analysis of student work, school and/or board networks, classroom visits

• Engage families and communities to support different ways of understanding and doing mathematics

• invite families and communities to contribute to planning and execution of family math nights

• share OCSB Math at Home website

• Access resources, experts and professional learning to continuously develop content knowledge for teaching

  • • teacher supports on the Curriculum and Resources website (K-8 and 9-12)

    • curriculum consultants (math, spec ed), school math learning partners, department heads/curriculum leaders/math leads

    • teacher supports on OCSB Math Websites 

    • Ministry Content Knowledge Webinars for grades 3, 6, 9

• Model a positive and curious learning stance with mathematics to create an environment where students are excited to learn mathematics and develop into confident math learners

  1. • use a variety of tools and strategies:  manipulatives/tools, digital, paper and pencil

     • use a variety of representations: concrete →  pictorial → abstract

     • teach through problem solving using rich tasks, low floor- high ceiling tasks (success and challenge for ALL) and make the problem-solving process explicit

     • integrate math talk prompts and conversations, ex Math Debates, Number Talks, Thinking Classroom

• Determine key content areas, informed by EQAO data, including Strands and Skills reports, to determine where students may be struggling most and if there are gaps between classroom and EQAO achievement

• Integrate common open and parallel learning tasks across grades/divisions that foster student ownership of mathematics, while ensuring all students have accessible entry points into learning (success and challenge for ALL)

• Monitor and respond to students’ perception of and confidence in math

• written surveys (“I am good at math”)

• student conferencing and conversations

• family and community engagements

• Develop processes (ex. diagnostics, Strands and Skills EQAO) to identify and monitor achievement of students achieving below Level 2 in mathematics and provide ongoing supports so that students can access grade-level curriculum

  1. • play math fluency games

     • respond using small group instruction 

     • focus on Application and Thinking questions

• Adapt lesson planning in response to data collected from multiple, frequent assessment opportunities (Interviews, observations, conversations, student agendas, exit tickets, portfolios, surveys)

• differentiate instruction and assessment to meet needs of ALL learners (ex. DI options in MathUP, small group instruction) 

• Understand and respond to student mathematics strengths, needs and interests using a variety of sources, including the Curriculum and Resources website (K-8 and 9-12), Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and collaboration with special education teachers and educational assistants

  1. • make math accessible using Google docs shared via Hapara workspace to access Google Read and Write, Equatio, Magma Math, Binogi and translators

• Plan, teach, and assess learning in culturally responsive and relevant ways that motivate students to take ownership of their learning of, and progress in, mathematics

• encourage different ways of knowing

• position learners as capable and competent, have high expectations and view with an asset based lens

• Monitor and re-engage students at the earliest sign that attendance is impacting learning (e.g., at 3 days and 6 days of absence)