Michigan State University

1
Teachers as Learners A Study of Learning to
Teach Mathematics from the Perspective of the
Beginning Teacher

• Michigan State University
• PMENA November 11, 2006

2
Data Sources

• Interviews classroom observations
• 3 visits
• During first and second years of teaching
• Other interviews
• Mentor teachers
• District administrators
• Workshops/meetings
• Curriculum

3
New Teacher Needs
Lampert (2001)

• Understanding students, their families, and their
  thinking
• Understanding the math teacher role
• Constructing tasks

4
Helen Rogers

• BS in Mathematics
• Hired in November as a long-term substitute for
  9th grade algebra
• Alternative teacher certification program
• Large urban public high school
• 2800 students, 150 teachers
• 95 African American, 2 White, 1 Hispanic, 1
  Asian

5
Constructing and Using Tasks
Students
Teachers
Content
6
Constructing and Using Tasks
Students
Teachers
Content
7
Constructing and Using Tasks
Students
Teachers
Content
So one of the goals that I want to do is to
better understand the community, you know, better
understand my students and the parents. I want
to get a better hold, a better feel for the
students in their environment, you know, for the
social concerns theyre having.
8
Staircase and Slope
Slope is equal to a vertical change over a
horizontal change.
When we calculate a slope, the slope will have a
value. When you calculate the slope of the line,
you use the variable, m. The formula for
that is y subscript 2 minus y subscript 1 divided
by x subscript 2 minus x subscript 1.
This line is considered my slope. Because its
on a hill, theres a slant. If I go up Im
increasing, so thats my slope. We can also
determine what the value of a slope is. If this
goes down, then this is positive or negative. If
your line rises, goes down, then the slope is
negative.
Lesson launched with concrete example of slope
with which students are familiar
9

• New mathematics teachers need opportunities to
  learn how to use curriculum materials
  judiciously, choose and use representations and
  tools skillfully and design tasks that are useful
  (Ball, Lubienski, Mewborn, 2001).

Students
Teachers
Content
10
Ona Atanassov

• BS in Computer Science
• Mathematics teacher for 5th-8th grade
• Small, rural K-8 public school
• 125 students, 10 teachers
• 98 White, 2 Hispanic
• 70 receive free/reduced lunch

11

• I'm not clear how to teach them, how much to
  teach them, what they have to give me and what I
  have to give to them. So, I'm not quite clear
  about that, but I have to do it anyways. That's
  where I am and I'm going to do think aloud and
  hope that I don't have to give them too much
  information, yet I will give them enough so that
  they can go on and do the problem on their own.
• -Ona

12
Constructing Role

• Not about controlling students
• Her role in connecting with the relationship
  between students and content

Students
Teachers
Content
13

• I'm not clear how to teach them, how much to
  teach them, what they have to give me and what I
  have to give to them. So, I'm not quite clear
  about that, but I have to do it anyways. That's
  where I am and I'm going to do think aloud and
  hope that I don't have to give them too much
  information, yet I will give them enough so that
  they can go on and do the problem on their own.
• -Ona

14
I want to be a teacher who is not standing in
front of the classroom and thinking of kids as an
empty vessel and filling them up. Here, I know
all and heres what you have to figure out. I
would like to be a facilitator more than a
lecturer. I don't see that right now and that's
my goal that kids can, that I can make a
classroom culture so that I can be out of the
school and kids will carry the class. I don't
know the recipe how to get there. I don't know
exactly what would it take but that's my goal.
Students
Students
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Content
Content
15

• And they keep saying, Youre doing a good job!
  So maybe they just think I dont need them with
  the help. Because it seems like when I ask for it
  they say, You dont need it. But I DO need it.
• - Helen

16
Implications

• Induction must attend to more than
• Squeaky Wheels
• Even new teachers with many strengths have many
  needs
• Students and Content
• Instead focus on teachers connection to the
  relationship between
• students and content

Students
Teachers
Content