Team Teaching Details

On March 25th and 27th you will participate in team teaching. In groups of 2 and 3 you will lead a problem-solving activity for your classmates and this can be a lot of fun! No, really!

Thank you for arranging your own groups of two/three. (We need 12 groups in total,so you need to figure out the right combination of groups of two and three) On Tuesday (March 18th) we will draw numbers to decide which groups will go on which day as the fairest solution. 

The key is for you to find a really good task or problem. The quality of your team teaching activity is directly related to the quality of the task you bring to the class. I will not be giving groups feedback on the quality of your topic/task before you teach so please do not ask (sorry!). Choosing a good topic is part of this assignment.

What is your responsibility?

You and your group will provide the class with an example of great math teaching through a 15-20 minute problem-solving mathematical activity that is a strong example of what to do with children.

Your lesson / task / activity is to be an open-ended problem solving activity /task taught according to the NCTM Principles and Standards.

Please review the process standards HERE if you are in need of a refresher.

Please get your "students" involved in the task/activity right away. Please do not spend time reviewing or refreshing a topic. The biggest challenge with this assignment is finding a great task/activity.

I will be looking for evidence of interesting mathematics and your understanding of that mathematics. I will wish to see activities that are worthy of children’s time and attention. 

I will be interested in your ability to hold a whole class conversation where your students are talking about the math they are doing and defending their mathematical ideas.

I will be looking for evidence of your growing understanding of how to manage time, materials, groups, diverse students, whole group conversation, and technology if appropriate.

Remember, please, do not use your valuable time making pretty things for your lesson. It is not necessary or important for this assignment. I am looking for a thoughtful approach and evidence of your growing understanding of mathematics education.

When you are not teaching a lesson you will be participating as a learner. You may be asked to provide feedback at the end of teaching activities each day.

What’s this about having a conversation as part of the lesson?

When it comes to your teaching activity, part of the lesson will include a mathematical conversation facilitated by you, the teachers, with the "students" after they have had some time to experience the activity, since we know that whole group conversation is a significant part of any good mathematics lesson. Getting students to communicate their thinking and their ideas is key and takes practice.

You may need to stop students as they work (because of time constraints) so you can fit in a conversation about the mathematics they are doing. Just a reminder: This is not a conversation about teaching with your colleagues. It is a conversation about the math you are doing with your  "students." You will still be ‘in’ your teaching activity.

You will need to keep track of the time and to use the 15-20 minutes well. You will be stopped when you reach twenty minutes.

Having a good sense of your own strengths and weaknesses is crucial for reflective practice as a teacher and personal growth as a learner. You will be called to reflect on your own team-teaching experience during a conversation with me immediately following your lesson. Be ready to reflect on your team teaching. Think about what it is that worked well, and what you would change or improve or focus on if there were to be ‘a next time.’ During this conversation I will want to know what you know about the mathematics, and about how the topic is connected to the curriculum. You do not need to recite back specific outcomes. You do need to know the big ideas where your task is connected. 

What do you pass in to me?

At the beginning of class on the day you are scheduled to team-teach, please submit a one-page ‘plan.’ This means your group has to pass in a concise one page explanation of your activity in paper form. This one page should explain in clear language
a) exactly what it is that you will be doing,
b) the important mathematics that the lesson takes up,
c) how you will assess understanding,
d) how it is connected to the written curriculum -not specific outcomes but generally
e)  how it might be extended for diversity as an open-ended problem,
f) and reference from where the idea came.

This one page is not the place for detailed descriptions or listing of curriculum outcomes and objectives. There should be enough detail to be useful, but your descriptions should be brief enough for browsing. Please do not submit a cover sheet or accessorize with clip art. 

What manipulatives do you use?

You are welcome and encouraged to use any of the class manipulatives but you will need to make certain that the manipulatives you need actually exist and are available. Please have the materials you need organized and your teaching space (chairs, tables, materials, computer, ELMO) ready. That is your responsibility.

How will you share lessons with each other?

You should consider providing copies of the one page lesson for your classmates but it is not mandatory for the assignment. I suggest providing an electronic version to everyone.

What is the reason for this assignment?

One reason for stagnancy of the curriculum is that practising teachers often don’t have access to teaching ideas that support emerging conceptions of mathematics teaching. This assignment has a very pragmatic purpose: to compel you to assemble what should (collectively) be a valuable teaching resource.

This summative assessment has many other pedagogic purposes, including:

• To expose you to a variety of potentially solid mathematical ideas that are connected to curriculum and are developmentally appropriate.

• To provide you with the chance to teach and lead a lesson.

• To allow for collaborative teaching and planning.

• To demonstrate your growing understanding of problem solving and worthwhile tasks.

• To demonstrate your ability to reflect on teaching and to articulate strengths and areas of improvement.

Try to enjoy this experience. It is a chance for you to try some teaching in a safe environment and to get some constructive feedback. It should also be fun! 

Good luck! I am looking forward to seeing you all in action.