What are your Common Core Classroom Practices?

Common Core Algebra teachers from around the district met last week.  Wednesday night, fifty 7^th and 8^th grade Algebra teachers gathered for their annual midterm analysis collaborative team meeting. On Thursday afternoon, 80+ CCSS Algebra 1-2 and Algebra 1-2 Honors teachers met to 1) celebrate their first semester successes and 2) continue planning for the second semester work. Both groups of teachers have been working hard at implementing the Common Core. At the sessions we reflected on the student data and analyzed strengths and weaknesses.  Our partner district teachers were able to play with the new technology (clickers) to analyze the most missed standards in each unit and shared re-engagement strategies to ensure that the students misconceptions are addressed by the end of the year.  The PUHSD Algebra teams reviewed the semester data and set SMART goals for 2^nd semester to include action steps specific to concept recovery for 1st semester material.  After the data dialogue, I shared the “Shifts in Classroom practice” from a new book:

Bay-Williams, J. M., McGatha, M., Kobett, B. M. and Wray, J. A. (2014). Mathematics coaching: Resources and tools for coaches and leaders, K-12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Teams read through each classroom shift and then completed the Freyer model for each shift.  To see the teams posters, watch the gallery of the shifts and see the teams in action.  

Common core algebra training from motoncheff

Where are you and your collaborative team on the continuum of the classroom shifts?  As you and your teams are focusing on developing rigor (balancing procedural fluency and conceptual understanding) in your 2nd semester content, pay attention to your "shifts".  

Shift 1: From same instruction towards differentiated instruction. 

Shift 2: From students working individually toward community of learners. 

Shift 3: From mathematical authority coming from the teacher or textbook towards mathematical authority coming from sound student reasoning. 

Shift 4:  From teacher demonstrating “how to” towards teacher communicating expectation for learning. 

Shift 5: From content taught in isolation towards content connected to prior knowledge.

Shift 6: From focus on correct answers towards focus on explanation and understanding. 

Shift 7: From mathematics made easy for students towards engaging students in productive struggle.

Thanks to Becky Angus (Metro Tech), Tiffany Dawdy (Camelback), Angela Enciso (Camelback), Sammi Lindstrom (Camelback), Dina Medina (Metro Tech), and Josh Wray (Fairfax) for sharing their expertise during the stations activity. The tasks activity has been added to SharePoint.

Congratulations for all of your hard work and good luck with 2nd semester!