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Teachers as Professionals vs. Teaching as a Profession What is the body of knowledge, practice and expertise that furthers learning?. What we talk about when we talk about teaching: 1: Teachers as classroom practitioners. 2: Teachers (of math) as mathematicians.
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Teachers as Professionals vs. Teaching as a Profession What is the body of knowledge, practice and expertise that furthers learning?
What we talk about when we talk about teaching: 1: Teachers as classroom practitioners. 2: Teachers (of math) as mathematicians. 3: Teachers as professionals charged with the care of young people. 4: The context in which we work.
Supporting and developing classroom practice: • Peer support of new teachers can be nurturing and free of fear or threat. • It should be organized and led by other teachers. • Veteran teachers also need mechanisms for reflecting on their practice.
Who needs a coach? See “Personal Best – Should Everyone have a Coach?” by Atul Gawande, The New Yorker, 10/3/2011
Math Teachers as Mathematicians • We must ourselves engage with the material through the habits of mathematical practice. • PROMYS, Park City Mathematics Institute, Math for America • How can we expand access? • How can we make this a generally accepted part of professional practice?
Caring for Students’ Social and Emotional Development • SMP 1: “…persevere in solving [problems]” • SMP 3: “…critique the reasoning of others” • How do we teach these things?
We can’t do (all of) it on our own • Support from university mathematics faculty • Training in teaching observation • Training in adult learning • A more supportive approach from policy-makers