Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 41

Sharing Good Practice to tackle new learning, despite not remembering the formulas as they have learned how to reason about the relationships. Supporting Teachers Helping students develop mastery skills in Mathematics begins with the teachers as they have the most influence. To support teachers so they can help their students develop a deep understanding of Mathematics that can be applied in real-life contexts, attention should be given to cooperative and co-dependent teacher development, embedding authentic problem solving, and shifting a greater focus of the learning to reasoning. First, high-quality teaching begins with; opportunities to collaborate, experiences to practice and learn, and purposeful instances of objective reflection. This can take many forms (i.e. Professional Learning Communities or Japanese Lesson Study), but high performing schools and nations create the space and norms for focused attention to the nature of learning Mathematics. This kind of support should be frequent and on-going, to help teams develop collectively and to support new teachers in building the culture of the school with respect to learning Mathematics. A great resource to learn more about Lesson Study specifically can be found at https://lessonresearch.net/ Secondly, authentic problem solving needs to be purposefully embedded into the curriculum. This means creating space for the exploration of more open-ended and non-routine problems. These kinds of problems build both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding as they require students to use Mathematics in meaningful ways. While many textbooks and similar resources have "story problems" at the end of lessons or units, we do not have to wait until the end of a unit to play with these problems. Use such problems at the beginning of a unit to help provide meaning for the learning. You can introduce the problem early on, but do not have to complete it; let it simmer and revisit it periodically so students can continue to grapple with the Mathematics understudy, in meaningful ways. Lastly, classroom learning experiences should focus far more on reasoning than "answer-getting." Again, answers matter in Mathematics, but they are the last thing that matters. If a solution is correct, but the reasoning upon which this solution is based is flawed or missing, then the student has not mastered the concept. When students have opportunities to pose questions, develop arguments, and make connections between mathematical relationships, they learn to see the pattern and structure of the Mathematics involved; they develop mastery. This means carefully understanding the kinds of questions and problems we pose as educators. One suggestion is to record the learning in the classroom and reflect on it with a respected colleague. Notice the focus on the learning, rather than the teaching. Look objectively at the learning by analyzing the responses from students. Are they trying to "get answers," do they provide simple one- word responses, or do they "explain" by telling the steps they took (this is merely procedural and not focused on the reasoning)? Understanding the ways in which students respond to questions can help teachers identify how they can focus more on reasoning. Mastery in Mathematics Helping students develop mastery begins with the outcomes in mind. In an age where we can quickly Google an answer or calculation, we need to help students understand that the three myths of mastery (speed, accuracy, and memorization) are not the traits that define someone who is good at Mathematics. Mastery comes from making connections, being creative, and building understanding on reasoning when faced with challenging experiences. Dr. Bennett is a passionate educator who strives for equity in learning for all students. As a global consultant and an Associate Professor of Education specializing in curriculum and instruction, he has worked with educators throughout the United States and across the Middle East, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Class Time Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020 41