SESSION 6A (Featured Session, Models of Support): “Why Wait 15 Years! How to Accelerate the Development of New Mathematics Teachers’ Expertise Through Powerful Induction and Support Programs”
– Christopher Yakes, Associate Professor, California State University, Chico/Director, Chico Mathematics Project STIR
Research suggests several factors that can encourage new mathematics teachers to stay in the profession, including: teachers’ healthy sense of professional identity; teachers’ mastery over mathematics content and their understanding of student thinking; and a sense that teachers are part of a community of learners, among others. The learning curve for developing mathematics teaching expertise is a long one, and teachers who leave before making progress along this path represent a failure of the prevailing systems for supporting new teachers. We outline a research-supported framework that induction programs for new mathematics teachers should follow in order to be maximally effective.
About the Featured Speaker
SESSION 6B (Mathematics Content and Pedagogy): “Supporting New and Seasoned Teachers Through Lesson Study”
– Rajee Amarasinghe, Mathematics Faculty, California State University, Fresno
Co-Speaker: Agnes Tuska, Mathematics Faculty, California State University, Fresno
Enhancing teachers’ mathematics content knowledge, changing their beliefs about how mathematics should be taught, and finally changing their mathematics instruction, were the ultimate goals of this professional development project. This session will offer an in-depth view into the successes of this model that incorporated Lesson Study as a method of change while infusing mathematics content and alternative pedagogical strategies throughout. Examples of professional development activities will be included in this interactive session that will provide attendees with hands-on activities to experience how professional development activities were designed to achieve these goals.
SESSION 6C (Research): “Case Study Teachers Speak Out on Their Experiences as Participants“
– Panel Moderator: Susie W. Hakansson, Executive Director, California Mathematics Project
Panelists: Kevin Burrill, Mathematics Teacher, Albert Einstein Middle School
Emmanuel Ikeokonta, Mathematics Teacher, Dominguez High School
Susan Smith, Mathematics Teacher, Irvine Mathematics Project
Three of the four Case Study teachers in the CMP STIR grant will provide their perspective of the role of professional development in teacher retention. They will highlight different aspects of their professional development and how it contributed to teacher retention: mathematics content and pedagogy, project support, and teacher leadership—all critical factors that contribute to increased teacher retention.
SESSION 6D (Teacher Leadership): “The Multiple Perspectives of a Teacher Leader“
– Panel Moderator: Maria Ramirez, Teacher, Chester W. Nimitz Middle School
Panelists: Manuel Vadillo, Teacher, Southeast Middle School
Adriana Mora, Math Teacher, South Gate High School
Jane Kim, Math Teacher, South East High School
Juliette Roberts, Math Teacher, Gladstone High School
This panel of five teacher leaders from the California State University, Dominguez Hills Mathematics Project will discuss their growth as a teacher and a leader in professional development. The following questions will be discussed: What is a teacher leader? What experiences in the summer institutes were valuable in becoming a teacher leader? How did the experiences in the summer institutes impact their classroom practice and interaction with their colleagues? What were the challenges in becoming a teacher leader? How did your work with the STIR project help you overcome these challenges?
SESSION 6E (Research): “Using Maslow’s Hierarchy to Prioritize Teachers’ Needs and Understand Mathematics Teacher Retention”
– Molly Fisher, Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky
This presentation uses Maslow’s Hierarchy to make sense of the needs of mathematics teachers. Four mathematics teachers of diverse backgrounds and settings, who are currently teaching in various states, were previously interviewed about the stresses of being a teacher, coping strategies and resources, along with reasons why they have been movers, leavers, or stayers. Maslow’s Hierarchy, which was first used to describe human needs, was used to analyze the data and create a hierarchy suitable for teachers’ needs, focusing on teachers in the first five years of the profession, which is the most vulnerable time of their career.
SESSION 6F (Mathematics Content and Pedagogy): “Examining the Effects of a 2-Period Intervention Course with Aligned Professional Development on Student Success and Student and Teacher Attitudes in Grades 7-9 in Two Urban School Districts”
– Karajean Hyde, Co-Director, Irvine Mathematics Project
Co-Speaker: Janna Canzone, Co-Director, Irvine Mathematics Project
This session will focus on the effects of implementing a 2-period intervention curriculum in low performing schools. This session will share study results in terms of effects on student achievement as well as student attitudes and motivation towards math. This session will also discuss the successes & challenges of implementing hands-on learning with the lowest achieving students and teachers newer to the field. The curriculum and analysis tools used will be shared as well as the content of the six days of professional development the teachers received.
