Who Am I?

September 6, 2016

Here it goes. Starting a blog has been something I have been considering for a while. Its value seems obvious just as we are told to reflect on our everyday. Why tonight? Well this amazing mathematician once told me that he learned more from his experience blogging for himself than for other people. Now I can't fathom having the same experience as him, but it was worth a shot. He posted on twitter that today was his 10 year anniversary for blogging, so starting today seemed like a valid choice. Who you ask? None other than Dan Meyer!

I have recently started my new position as a high school math TOSA in Southern California. After living and teaching in Boise, Idaho for 4 years, California was a change. I am originally from SoCal and have only been gone for 9 years, but my experience in education has only happened out of state. It has been difficult to transition home, but also helpful to have a different perspective.

Working in Boise has given me an amazing opportunity to work with amazing people. I have learned so much in my short 4 years as a teacher and cannot wait to share that knowledge with my new team. I helped implement common core in Boise without a purchased curriculum. As a result, the knowledge I gained about the standards, how other math teachers were implementing the new standards, as well as where to turn to get answers will be vital to my effectiveness as a supporter for the teachers in my district. 

Now that I am working as a TOSA creating PDs and having more time to research, blogging seemed like the logical next step. My plan is to use this blog as a reflective piece as well as a place to post ideas and discoveries during my time as a TOSA. I have learned so much from my limited use of twitter and I would love to continue the process as a life long learner.

Something exciting that happened...

We planned a PD for 1st grade teachers and did a number talk with dot cards. It is officially called subitizing. 

Now for a high school teacher, this is still pretty exciting. The awe and excitement of how many ways to count to 7 is awe-inspiring, especially when it comes from small children. With a dot configuration like the one above, the 1st grade group came up with more than 10 ways. A middle school group had about 3, much like my first experience subitizing. Thinking about the creativity required to help students see basic concepts (addition and subtraction) helped me see how we need to keep that open-minded-ness for secondary teachers. 

Not only does this activity help with number sense, it also creates a welcoming environment for students to justify their thinking and critique the reasoning of others (Hello math practice standards!). What better way to facilitate a rich conversation in a math class. Students get the opportunity to learn how to explain their thinking in a low risk environment, use visual models to represent their thinking (make use of structure) and TALK about mathematics. For more on that, check out my amazing friend's blog Arithmetalk and another inspiration for this endeavor.

I can't say it enough, I cannot wait to see what this generation of common core kiddos will achieve!