Looney Math - Supporting Educators in the Math Classroom

Hi Math Friend!

Welcome to October! In New England, October means pumpkins, changing leaves ... and celebrating my birthday on Halloween! As an educator, this is when classrooms have hit a groove - summer break is in the rear view mirror, teachers understand and have connected with their students and schools are abustle with learning.

The article by Jamila Dugan quoted below lands at a perfect time.
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"What if we moved from how we will deal with the perceived loss of learning to questions about how to envision the future of learning? What if we didn't leave exploring those questions to a few folks in the ed tech or assessment industries, but brought those questions right to our students, especially those who have been pushed to the margins? What if we rejected the notion that we need to teach students how to go to school again and embraced questions like, What does it mean to go to school now? and What is its purpose?" - Dugan, 2022
I have the space to learn into this message right now, and Dugan has me fired up! Let's DO THIS! Instead of talking about filling gaps, fixing our students, getting back to where we were ... let's dream of a future where ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE A POWERFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE! Let's reimagine the status quo and consider how we make our dreams a reality.
I'd like you to talk a moment and grab a pencil and write down your answer to this question:

What is your dream for your students / school / district?

My dream has long been the same - that each and every student experience math as joyful and see themselves as a powerful doer of math.

How do I accomplish this dream? I find engaging activities and allow students to struggle and feel the accomplishment of hanging in there with a challenging task. I am inclusive in the activities and the stories of mathematics that I share. I listen to what the learners I work with say ... and sometimes I am even able to hear what they don't say! And then I meet each learner where they are. I include games and time for play and exploration. I incorporate hands-on tools to help students connect to the mathematics and to learn with conceptual understanding. I ask open and genuine questions.

I read everything I can, and I look to others to help me grow and learn. I celebrate small wins, because even small progress is progress. I reflect on my work, and I stay the course.

Am I always successful? Of course not! But I continue to move, undeterred towards that dream.

I would love to know what your dream is and how you are taking steps towards your dream. WHATEVER your dream is, I am cheering you on. You've got this!
In addition to the links above, I have included more resources below to support you and your students.
Enjoy!

Kindly,
Further Your Learning Opportunities

Many of us were not able to travel to Los Angeles for the 2022 National Math Conference to see speakers live, but luckily we can watch these passionate speakers at the link below. Each talk is about 10 minutes long and is sure to give you a reason to celebrate math teaching and the students at the center of your work!
Maybe a trip to Vermont is within possibilities for you - If you are able to attend the ATMNE conference, find me and say hello! I will be talking about Puzzles and Play, as well as Same But Different Math. Below are a couple of links to my favorite puzzles.
Problems of the Month for October
Updated Same But Different Video








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