Question 1: How do you feel when you solve a math problem correctly during number talks?
Follow-up: Can you describe a time when number talks made you feel more confident in math?
Sarah: She said she felt "good" and that she understood the material, adding that she felt proud of herself. "When the questions are hard, I feel proud when I get the answer correct."
Harry: He said he felt "good" and proud of himself. One time he felt super proud was when they were working with letters (variables) and multiplication, and he figured it out.
Taylor: She said she felt "happy" because normally she's not good at math. "When we count by numbers and see patterns, it helps me feel more confident."
Alice: She said she felt "good." She liked knowing that she did it right. She did not have a specific time she could describe.
David: He said he felt "happy." He sometimes doubts himself because he thinks he will pick the wrong answer. A time that he felt proud was when they were skip-counting, as it gets his brain working.
Alex: He said he felt "good" because he got the answer right. He did not have a specific time he could describe.
Question 2: When you’re in a number talk discussion, do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas with the class?
Follow-up: What makes it easier or harder for you to share your thinking?
Sarah: She said she sometimes feels comfortable. She doesn't like talking in front of people, which makes it hard, even if she has the correct answer.
Harry: He said he sometimes feels comfortable. At times, he's unsure if his answer is good or not. His nerves about speaking in front of others keep him from sharing.
Taylor: She said she feels "kind of" comfortable. When she thinks her answer is wrong, it makes her feel bad. She also fears that people might laugh at her if she gives a wrong answer.
Alice: She said she feels comfortable. She believes that sharing her answers might help jog other students' memories or help those who don't understand.
David: He said he sometimes feels comfortable. Occasionally, he gets stressed and doesn't want to give the wrong answer. It becomes harder for him when he thinks his answer might be higher or lower than the correct one.
Alex: He said he doesn't feel comfortable. He's used to talking to himself and not in front of others.
Question 3: Has participating in number talks changed how you feel about math? If yes, in what way?
Follow-up: Do you think number talks help you understand math better? Why or why not?
Sarah: She said it hasn't changed how she feels about math, but she does think number talks have helped her understand math better because "we can use the information later on."
Harry: He said it has kind of changed how he feels about math. It has helped him learn more "stuff" and made him better at skip counting. He said number talks kind of help him understand math better, but sometimes he's still unsure.
Taylor: She said number talks have helped her feel more confident about math because she now has other strategies and ideas that can help her. She thinks number talks help her understand math better.
Alice: She said number talks have changed how she feels about math because if something is hard, they help her get prepared. She also believes that number talks give her and the class time to talk about what they are learning.
David: He said number talks have changed how he feels about math because they have shown him that some people have different answers, and through conversations, students can help each other learn from mistakes. He also thinks number talks help by going over things they've already learned and serve as a great "brain starter."
Alex: He said number talks have changed how he feels about math because they allow students to say their answers out loud. He also believes number talks make it easier to cooperate by talking to each other.
Question 4: Do you think you’ve become more confident in math since starting number talks? How?
Follow-up: What part of number talks helps you feel more confident?
Sarah: She said she has become more confident in math. Number talks have helped her find more and different strategies to use when solving problems.
Harry: He said he has become more confident in math. Number talks have taught him more strategies, and they have helped him feel more confident because he knows when his answer is right or wrong.
Taylor: She said she has become more confident. The part of number talks that helps her feel more confident is sharing her ideas and solutions with a partner.
Alice: She said she has become more confident. Talking about the math helps her understand whether she was right or wrong and allows her to think about what she could do differently next time. The part of number talks that helps her most is getting to discuss the math.
David: He said he has become more confident. Number talks show him that even though he doubts himself, it's okay to make mistakes because he can fix them. The talking time during number talks is what helps him most.
Alex: He said he hasn’t gotten more confident. He mentioned that as the math gets harder, it becomes more difficult for him.
Question 5: Can you explain how you feel when you make a mistake during number talks? Does talking about it with your classmates help?
Follow-up: How does hearing other students’ ideas affect how you think about solving math problems?
Sarah: She said that sometimes when she makes mistakes, she gets upset, but she reminds herself that she knows how to do the work and thinks about what she did last time. Talking with others helps because it allows her to learn from her mistakes and avoid making the same mistake in the future.
Harry: He said he gets mad or upset on the inside. Talking about it with others kind of helps because it allows him to learn from other people and see if they have better ideas than he does.
Taylor: She said she doesn't really know how she feels when she makes a mistake, but it's not always the best feeling. However, talking with others does help because if their answer matches hers and it's correct, it makes her feel better.
Alice: She said she feels okay when she makes a mistake. She mainly wants to understand what she did wrong. Talking about it with others helps because it allows her to see their perspective.
David: He said it feels frustrating when he makes a mistake, especially if he knows the correct answer or if he blurts out the wrong thing. However, he knows he can learn from his mistakes. He likes talking with others because it shows him that there are multiple ways to solve problems, not just one.
Alex: He said he feels okay when he makes a mistake because he knows he can always get the next one right. He also said that talking with others helps him.
Question 6: Do you find that working with different strategies in number talks helps you understand math better? Why or why not?
Follow-up: How do you feel about trying different ways to solve a problem, even if you’re not sure it’s right?
Sarah: She said that working with different strategies does help her because if she forgets one way, she can always try another and compare her answers. If she gets the same answer using two different methods, she knows she did it correctly.
Harry: He said that working with different strategies helps him because if he doesn’t understand one strategy, he can just try a different one. Sometimes one strategy works best for him. He feels good about trying different strategies because it helps him figure out new ways to solve problems.
Taylor: She said that working with different strategies helps her because if one method doesn’t work, she knows she can try another. She also mentioned that she could teach the strategies she uses to others if needed.
Alice: She said that working with different strategies helps her because it allows her to see various ways to solve a problem. By trying different strategies, she can figure out which method works best for her.
David: He said that working with different strategies helps him because it shows him how others solve problems and allows him to find easier and faster ways to approach them. Doing a problem multiple ways gives him a chance to check his answers and push through even if it’s challenging.
Alex: He said that working with different strategies helps him because it shows him what others do. He also said that working as a team helps.
Question 7: When you hear other students explain their math strategies, does it help you feel more confident about your own ideas?
Follow-up: How does seeing different approaches in number talks affect the way you solve problems?
Sarah: She said that hearing others explain helps her feel more confident because hearing something similar to her strategies is reassuring.
Harry: He said that hearing others explain helps him feel more confident because when their ideas are similar to his, it makes him feel better about his answer. He also mentioned that seeing different approaches helps him realize when his answer is different and possibly wrong, allowing him to fix it.
Taylor: She said that hearing others explain helps her feel more confident because if they have the same answer as hers, she knows it's correct. This helps her feel confident in trying that strategy again next time.
Alice: She said that sometimes hearing others explain helps her feel more confident, but sometimes it doesn't. When the strategies others share sound confusing or weird, it doesn’t help her as much.
David: He said that hearing others explain helps him feel more confident because hearing their ideas gives him more ideas. He also mentioned that whether someone gets the answer right or wrong, everyone gets the chance to work through it and share their thinking.
Alex: He said that hearing others explain doesn’t make him feel more confident because he doesn’t need to hear it from others—he just needs to hear himself.
Question 8: Can you talk about how you feel after a number talk compared to before? Has your confidence changed during that time?
Follow-up: Do you feel more confident in math after having a chance to talk through problems with your classmates?
Sarah: She said she feels better and more confident after number talks. In the past, the class didn’t get the opportunity to talk about their answers—they just solved problems. They were never told why they got an answer wrong. She thinks that talking through answers and understanding why they are correct is very helpful.
Harry: He said he feels better after number talks compared to before. He feels like he learns more and gets more out of number talks than what was done in the past. He likes that in number talks they aren’t doing the same problems over and over. He also thinks that sharing answers and agreeing with others makes him feel more confident about his answers and sharing his ideas.
Taylor: She said she feels better after number talks. She likes that they get to share with a partner, which wasn’t an option in the past. She also likes that when sharing, she can give multiple answers for a problem because they go around multiple times when sharing answers. She said this makes her feel more confident.
Alice: She said she feels better after number talks. She likes that they allow her to solve the math mentally rather than always having to write her solutions down. She also enjoys hearing what others think.
David: He said he feels better after number talks. He thinks he is able to talk to others more confidently about math than he could before. He also likes that they get to discuss and solve the problems mentally rather than having to write them down.
Alex: He said that after number talks, he feels like he learns new things.