Mathematics Teaching Practices that Support Mathematics Learning for All Students

Opening Keynote at the 2015 CMP Users' Conference

Margaret (Peg) Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Using Connected Mathematics as an example, Dr. Smith describes the eight practices from the NCTM Principles to Actions and how they impact student learning, especially in CMP classrooms. 

In the more than two decades since the release of the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM, 1991), much has been learned about the teaching practices that support students’ understanding and learning of mathematics. In particular, there is empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of the following effective teaching practices, (Principles to Actions NCTM, 2014):

• Establish mathematics goals to focus learning.
• Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem-solving.
• Use and connect mathematical representations.
• Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse.
• Pose purposeful questions.
• Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding.
• Support productive struggle in learning mathematics.
• Elicit and use evidence of student thinking.