Teachers Teaching Teachers

One of the most effective ways for teachers to gain new knowledge and new ideas is from other teacis hers. It is really exciting to watch teachers sharing what worked for them. With the new common core standards about to go national, and the increased accountability placed on teachers, this becomes much more a necessity. I encourage anyone checking in to this site to share something that works for them.

During my last year of active teaching (4 years ago) I was introduced to the book Achieving Background Knowledge by Robert Marzano. My principal thought I would enjoy the book. I was so excited by what I read that I bullied the other first grade teachers into accepting it as a book study during our professional development time. The premise: that building background knowledge is critical if children are to be successful in the classroom, and that this becomes even more critical for children with view experiences or lower ability.

Since that time, I have actively promoted the need for vocabulary development at all grade levels, and especially in mathematics. Mathematics language is precise and very content-specific. Words that mean one thing in literature may mean something totally different in mathematics. As teachers, we need to identify the essential terminology at each grade level, agree on mathematically correct definitions, and then use them with our students.

One method I like is a differentiated instruction strategy called cubing. On a paper cube, place a vocabulary word on one square. On another, you might ask for a description of the word, or an example. Non-examples are great ways to determine if students really understand the term. Have them use it in a sentence. Provide a SR question and let them choose the best answer. Have them draw a picture of the word. Anything that helps the student develop a better depth of understanding of the term.

Good luck! And keep them talking mathematically!