6 Things We Learned From NCTM 2018

If you didn’t make it to NCTM’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., this year, you’re in luck! Between the two of us, we attended 18 presentations given by some of the brightest minds in math education. (Yes, we took a lot of notes!) Here are this year’s top takeaways from the conference. 

Using precise math language is vital to a child’s mathematical understanding. Math words and phrases come in many forms and can be interpreted in different ways. One classroom might have a teacher telling students to “borrow the 1.” Another might say, “carry the 10” or “go next door and borrow ten more!” This creates confusion as students advance grades and change teachers.

To counter this, be consistent and precise with your math language. By using terms such as numerator, sum, and regroup, students will build a library of mathematical vocabulary. This then elicits meaningful discourse in each grade level.

The most powerful advice we heard: Develop a school-wide approach to mathematical vocabulary and use it throughout the building. 

Lauren here, and I have a confession: I had CUBES, Rounding Roller Coaster, and Mr. Alligator anchor charts hanging in my classroom when I taught elementary math.

I thought these tricks would help my students remember how to solve problems. But a number of presenters pointed out that these tricks make it harder for students to understand the math that's really happening.

We want students to focus more on visualizing, analyzing, applying correct processes. Not be thinking about what the “s” in sell stands for in the phrase “Does McDonald’s Sell Cheeseburgers Raw?” (And in case you don't know that one, it’s a mnemonic device for remembering the steps of long division.)

By ditching the tricks, students can spend more time thinking and understanding.

Models, drawings, and visual representations are powerful teaching tools in the math classroom, regardless of grade level. To help student make sense of a process or strategy, a visual can be one of your best resources. Picture prompts are a great way to evoke mathematical discussions in which students share their thinking. We can’t assume a child’s background knowledge, so using visual representations can help activate their schema and elicit powerful conversations. Ask them what they notice, what they wonder, and encourage them to reason about the math within it.

Being surrounded by a group of energetic math educators is always a treat. Especially when everyone is sharing effective math teaching methods.

But this continues beyond NCTM. If you haven’t done so already, check out the math conversations happening on Twitter. #NCTMannual, #MTBoS, and #iteachmath are just a few hashtags that can help catch you up on what you missed and provide you new ideas for the future. Also if you can get your hands on a conference program, there are number of Twitter feeds you can follow.