Making math more meaningful
CHRIS CHILTON/University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene Teresa Armstrong, who teaches third-through-fifth grades at Borah Elementary, engages with other teachers as they discuss new approaches to mathematics and develop lesson plans during a workshop this week at University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene.
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — School is not even in session and North Idaho's teachers are already doing their homework.
About 40 kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers from schools across the Panhandle participated in a workshop this week at the University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene office. They underwent training to develop lesson plans that will enhance their students' understanding, communication and reasoning in mathematics.
"It’s a difficult subject to teach and learn,” said Julie Amador, associate professor of mathematics education and director of the Idaho Regional Mathematics Center. "It’s an area where students often could use more support, so having teachers feel strong in their abilities to teach math I think only supports the students."
Borah Elementary School second-grade teacher Kelly Bridges said she's excited to implement action research into her math lessons so she can use a different approach to measuring her students' skills throughout the school year.
"To me, the action research is just a little more thorough, and with discipline you are following through,” she said. "It's in the back of your mind continuously. You're focusing on what you can do to help them meet that goal."
The workshop encouraged teachers to build a mathematics culture for their students as they learn how to verbalize what they're learning.
"We're teaching four different routines to teach mathematical reasoning," Amador said. "The idea is the students would learn these ways of looking and thinking of math and then be able to apply that in other contexts as well."
Bridges is going into her fourth year of teaching second grade. She said she loves teaching math because of how "the light bulbs go on all the time, but at different times." She doesn't mind one bit that she spent some of her summer break working on making math more meaningful for her students.
"By continuously striving to use the best mathematical practices or approaches to meet students' needs, it will really impact their learning," she said. "The reason we do these things is for students and our future."
The workshop was funded by the Idaho State Department of Education.
Amador said the Idaho Regional Mathematics Center offers free professional development for teachers.
Info: irmc@uidaho.edu or 208-292-2514