Teacher pd, capacity, supply of highly qualified teachers, how do we provide pd so
teachers teach for understanding
Teachers’ perspective on resource needs:
Building in time / creating time for teachers to increase their knowledge
Need for teachers to increase knowledge
Needs
Everything focusing on and foregrounding mathematics throughout
-assessment of teacher knowledge
-content knowledge development (mathematical understanding seeing models of
practice)
-student centered classrooms
-connection between the math and other disciplines/technology
-establishment of learning environment for teachers
-development of knowledge about students (diversity/differentiation)
-professional development provider/quality/training/identification/ system of
providing quality professional development
-professional development that is responsive to contexts-at various levels
-ownership at various levels single school math department, school, district
-knowledge of contexts precedes professional development
-districts build in time for teachers to meet during school day
-promote culture of innovation, sharing of ideas, de-privatization of practice
Constraints
-lack of leadership-at multiple levels-need district leadership to fight for support,
commitment
-lack of coordinated, informed decision making (related to above)
-lack of coordination across priorities, assessments (AIMS), teacher training
incentives, teacher evaluation (what will they be evaluated on and how)
-lack of time (for professional development in the day, within a course, mile wide
inch deep)
-lack of money (to create time, and structure it for quality, curriculum
revision/development)
-lack of understanding of the standards
-the view of the standards as the de facto curriculum
-lack of a common vision of student learning outcomes and how to reach them
leading to disjoint and incoherent
Recommendations
-professional development that focuses strongly on enhancing teachers’ abilities to
develop student thinking about significant mathematical ideas
-development of leadership (e.g. people in positions of power with knowledge of
issues and appropriate courses of action providing vocal support, prioritization of
money, etc.)
-superintendents’ role is paramount
-professional development embedded in the regular school day (professional
learning communities)
– time to interact with colleagues with professional development facilitators,
other experts
-time to visit one another’s classrooms
-collaboration/coordination among the stake-holders – time and resources devoted
to developing and supporting communication
-promote a culture of innovation and create pathways for dissemination