Professional Development - Student Discourse

Throughout the year I led four staff meetings discussing Talk Moves to support student discourse specifically during math talks and math instruction.  I was also able to get into each classroom at least four times to model and co-teach using these talk moves. 

Teachers seemed to appreciate these PDs as they were applicable to their every day teaching.  The document below on the left was how we wrapped up the Talk Moves and Student Discourse PD series. Teachers briefly reflected on where they are in regards to student discourse and where they hope to go.  I encouraged them to use the document below on the left to increase the rigor in their "go to" questions, (II.b.iv). 

As I went into classrooms to model and co-teach math talks, (II.b.vi, III.v.c.), I was able to build relationships with students which allowed me to motivate and extend learning for individual students, (II.a.iii, II.b.vx.).  I helped select math talks that provided multiple entry points and helped develop an environment where talking about math became a norm, encouraging students to really listen and respond to their peers, (II.ai.v) and sharing their thought processes and representations, finding similarities between the way classmates solved the same problem, (II.b.iii).  Using sentence stems and introducing vocabulary to support mathematical discourse, (II.b.ii), allowed students the opportunity to use precise language to communicate their thinking, (II.b.v). 

I think modeling and co-teaching lessons and providing PD around something teachers were able to take and implement immediately are great ways to encourage people to try new things.  I had good feedback from colleagues and said that they were often inspired after watching me teach a lesson.  I hope I am able to get into classrooms even more next year during the math block so I can continue my journey as a mathematics teacher leader.