#94: How To Make Your Middle Schoolers Feel As Safe As They Did In Primary - A Math Mentoring Moment

Today we speak with Maia from the Boston area. Maia is a middle school math teacher and is working hard to make all students feel a sense of belonging in her classroom just like they felt when they were in Grade 2. You’ll hear about her own Math Moment that she remembers from math class and how it inspires her to build her own lessons, the work she’s been doing implementing structures from the Routines for Reasoning book, and how she wants to better help her students gain confidence to share their “rough draft thinking” with their peers. 

This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we talk with a member of the Math Moment Maker Community who is working through common problems of practice where together we brainstorm possible next steps and strategies to overcome them. 

You’ll Learn: 

• How “true” expertise can help you Spark Curiosity “on the fly”; 
• How to build a middle school math class culture where students feel as safe as they did back in grade 2; 
• How to help students build confidence to share their “rough draft thinking” with their peers;
• How mathematical models can be used as tools for thinking and to represent thinking to build a collaborative math learning environment; and,
• How you can build your own math content knowledge through resources and courses currently available related to proportional reasoning.

Resources: 

• Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practices in All Students [Book] 
• The Progression of Division - Graham Fletcher [VIDEO]
• The Progression of Division - Kyle Pearce [BLOG ARTICLE]

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Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.