Spend some time in class with sixth graders Morgan Sturgill and Sophia Demagalski, and the sounds of middle school chatter aren’t surprising—they giggle about something that just happened in the hall on the way to class…they encourage each other about an upcoming test later in the day…and they even plan where they’ll meet in the cafeteria for lunch. But perhaps the most surprising topic of conversation as they enter second period? The two girls LOVE learning math…and thanks to a districtwide focus on improving the way math is taught across all grades in NCSD, they’re not alone.
“I like it a lot more because reading out of math books used to make it boring,” explained Sturgill as she and Demagalski work together to solve a story problem on a large wall-mounted whiteboard. “It’s easier to draw on whiteboards than having to keep erasing on paper, and when you’re up and around and moving you can talk out answers with classmates and find out different strategies for solving the same problem.”
That’s exactly how Sturgill and Demagalski’s math teacher at Rock Creek Middle School, Tedra Heron, plans each of her math lessons. Along with hundreds of NCSD teachers, Heron has attended hours of district-provided training in research-based mathematics instruction, shifting the focus from rote memorization of math facts and formulas to helping students deeply understand and apply math concepts around complex, real-world problem-solving tasks.
“Last week all of my students turned in an answer to a problem I gave them and every one of them had solved it differently,” shared Heron, now in her sixth year of teaching sixth grade math. “So I shared all the answers and asked them, ‘Which one makes the most sense to you?’ Because even though everybody got the right answer, my job as a teacher is to see what they understand. And when they work in groups, they see that it’s not just the (quotes in the air) smart kids that have it right.”
In fact, this new approach to math has many North Clackamas student mathematicians discovering they’re the “smart kids,” especially in high school, where more high school students are enrolling in high level math courses like Advanced Algebra and Calculus than ever before.
“We do have the highest number of students enrolled in our Pre-Calculus courses than we’ve had in the past, including racially and economically diverse student groups,” pointed out Luke Weinbrecht, NCSD Math Instructional Coach. “Another nice trickle to this is having more than 50% of our seniors taking a math course, even without being required to.”
Anyone who grew up learning math memorizing theories out of textbooks might be surprised to witness a math lesson in any NCSD elementary, middle, or especially high school. In a recent Advanced Algebra lesson at Clackamas High, sophomores rarely sat still as they shuffled around the classroom debating classmates about how to best simplify square root equations. So is it possible that students are helping each other learn tough math concepts more effectively than their teacher?
“Oh, absolutely,” quipped CHS math teacher Kristen Faust, “I think nine times out of ten, that’s definitely the case.”
Weinbrecht also helps coordinate monthly “Math Studios,” which allow bands of grade-level teachers time outside of class to view and analyze math lessons in other classrooms, collaborate with each other, and learn how to better incorporate math “habits of mind” for students such as explaining reasoning, sharing multiple pathways, comparing logic, and critiquing and debating possible solutions.
Those habits aren’t limited to middle and high school either. Thanks to the hard work of NCSD’s hundreds of elementary teachers who teach math every day, younger students are seeing themselves as collaborative mathematicians more and more. Just ask them!
“My teacher makes me feel smart and I really love math,” said Riverside Elementary fifth grader Serenity Green. “Like sometimes if I don’t get the answer right away, she says things like ‘Oh I see where you got that part right.’ So she guides me through it step by step but never tells me the answer.”
“I thought I could do zero math last year, but this year I’m doing math and I’m reflecting on my thinking and we make posters together so we can learn from each other,” added the energetic 11-year-old.
And when it comes to a new approach to math instruction, learning from each other has been a key to improving instruction among teachers and mathematical confidence among students…especially squirrelly sixth graders.
“It’s fun to see multiple strategies,” said Demagalski, “and we have to show why it makes sense. It’s not just one method out of a book and the teacher tells us what to do. We work together to solve them on our own and if we need help, our teacher’s right there.”
