"I Don't Know What to Think About America's Declining Test Scores and Neither Should You" by @mpershan.bsky.social

Session 1 of our Speaker Series, by @pamseda1.bsky.social, got Session 3's @jennalaib.bsky.social thinking: "When does it make sense to change [cultural] elements?... The answer isn’t a checklist or a directive. It’s a stance... I strive for intentionality & balance... Why this shift? & for whom?

Join us tomorrow at 7pm EST! Register here: tinyurl.com/3fnxwbtc

"Our role isn’t to push a single ‘correct’ method. It’s to equip children with options and give them permission to choose. By encouraging discussion, comparing strategies, and highlighting efficiency, we shift the narrative..." /1

We've heard similar things from elementary math teachers, about what they've learned from using our Student Reflection Tool over the course of the year! www.terc.edu/mathequityfo...

"Students learn more—& better—when they are responsible for proving & defending their ideas. By making validation a shared responsibility, we prepare students not just to 'get the right answer,' but to become confident thinkers who know how to learn." - @pamseda1.bsky.social

"I decided to incorporate surveys...throughout the entire school year. Students change & grow over the year, & I realized I was missing the chance to get to know them on an ongoing basis... I have been absolutely amazed at the vital info it has given me as I get to know them—& they get to know me."

It's one week until we kick off our 2025-2026 Speaker Series with @pamseda1.bsky.social! Register now! tinyurl.com/3fnxwbtc

I’m looking for to this!

First up? @pamseda1.bsky.social on practical ways to design math experiences that build on students’ everyday lives & classrooms where every child feels seen, valued, & capable of deep mathematical thinking. 7-8p EST on 11/19/25. Learn more and register here: tinyurl.com/3fnxwbtc

We are thrilled to announce our 2025-26 Speaker Series! Knowing Our Students: Fostering Equitable Math Learning Communities focuses on the importance of knowing students as mathematicians & as learners w/ diverse backgrounds, experiences & interests. Learn more & register here: tinyurl.com/3fnxwbtc

"I work to help my students redefine what confusion means." Ready for the Balomenos lecture from Deborah Schifter! #ATMNE25

Thoughts from #ATMNE25: When looking at school culture, consider, "How are adults talking about kids? How are admin talking about teachers?" Need to be viewing both with a mindset of growth, opportunity, not deficit. @marriamath.bsky.social

Come learn with Megan Murray and Arusha Hollister tomorrow morning (9:40) to learn about Excursions, sequences of K-5 math activities designed to connect students with their interests, families, and communities! #ATMNE25

Going to ATMNE? Check out Arusha Hollister and Megan Murray's session about Excursions, Friday at 940!

2 hours til the #NCTMATL25 exhibit hall opens. Come by Booth 1408 for a free copy of the MPACT— project-based learning through making units. Teachers say: "Students are thriving with hands-on concepts. My reluctant math learners are learning how to apply math in real concepts." www.terc.edu/mpact3d/

@martamath0901.bsky.social? We KNOW her!! ❤️

What a fabulous summary of @martamath0901.bsky.social's #NCSM2025 Kay Gilliland Equity Award talk! ¡Arriba y Adelante!: Taking Steps Towards Creating Spaces of Mattering and Thriving in Math 👇🏼👇🏼

Listen to @tracyzager.bsky.social. @martamath0901.bsky.social is #brilliant and #wise #NCSM2025

Today our colleague @martamath0901.bsky.social received NCSM's Kay Gilliland Equity Award and delivered a "lecture" called ¡Arriba y Adelante!: Taking Steps Towards Creating Spaces of Mattering and Thriving in Mathematics #NCSM2025

In “more than 60 years as an educator… I’ve learned…from sharing ideas with colleagues, I’ve attended workshops, I’ve attended conferences, I’ve read professional books, but my most important source of honing my teaching skills has been the students I’ve taught.”

"Struggle is not a sign of weakness but the birthplace of real understanding." - @pamseda1.bsky.social www.sedaeducationalconsulting.com/post/two-com...

We'll be at @nctm.org in Atlanta! Don't miss TERC sessions on impactful math teaching — from maker-based assessments to supporting student math identity to baseball and geometry. Stop by Booth #1408 to explore the latest in STEM, grab free resources, and pick up some fun swag! hubs.la/Q03M03ND0

We’ll be at #NCSM2025 with @mathedleaders.bsky.social in Atlanta! Check out TERC sessions on helping teachers reflect with video coaching + fostering equitable participation through reflective practices. Details here ➡️ hubs.la/Q03L_-J90

Going to Atlanta? Come learn with Forum for Equity in Elementary Mathematics staff! #NCSM #NCTMATL25

Going to NCSM? Come hear Arusha, Cinthia & @martamath0901.bsky.social talk about how teacher reflection can support all students' voices in small group work in math. 12:45 on 10/14 in International Salon 5.

Our Student Reflection Tool supports Ts in asking ?s about kids' prior experiences & sense of themselves as math learners, & their beliefs & expectations for - and participation in - math class. Blogs linked in the right margin address what to do about what you find out! www.terc.edu/mathequityfo...

"Across contexts, cold call often created a culture of negativity, pulled time away from the main goal of the class, & didn’t do much to get kids paying attn." Read @dylanpkane.bsky.social on 4 alternatives to cold calling that "are underused, not too hard to learn, & less likely to backfire."

"Redefining what it means to 'do math' requires more than high test scores or textbook pacing. It calls us to look deeper—into how Ss see themselves as math thinkers. Developing positive math identities can’t be treated as an add-on. It has to be woven into the fabric of effective instruction."

"Making practice public is essential to teachers developing their craft together. What it means is that teachers: 1) make their instructional decisions public before, during & after teaching; 2) relentlessly position students as capable & as central participants in teachers’ collective learning; /1

"Schools still serve as a filter for the maths & math-nots. We still cast too many kids as capable/incapable of math learning at multiple levels. I’ve had countless ppl tell me 'I wish I had someone like you teach me b/c I would've gotten it' or" I didn't get why math mattered until I was an adult.

"Too often, we believe doing well on a standardized test is equivalent to giving students an education."

Lovely 3-min video about getting to know students and every student having someone who knows them. How might this look the same/different in an elementary school?

"The slow reveal graphs routine both honors the complexity of data visualizations & creates accessible entry points for every learner. Because revision is expected & careful observation is valued, students focus less on being 'right' or 'wrong' & more on making sense of the data together."

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How does the Forum for Equity in Elementary Mathematics supports teachers in establishing and maintaining an equitable math learning community from the beginning of the school year? Read and find out! #RoomSetUp #Norms #ClassroomStructures #GettingToKnowStudents #ReflectingOnParticipation

"Most traditional assessments do little more than label & sort students. ... Students often walk away with grades that signal either success or failure, with no clear understanding of how to grow. That’s not assessment. That’s judgment." /1 - @pamseda1.bsky.social

"Agreements should be responsive to students’ current needs, identities & beliefs." Math class requires "a community that is prepared to work together, listen actively & contribute ideas. There is a focus on respect for Ss’ thinking, acceptance of differences & building on each child’s strengths."

"Teacher agency comes from taking action." Formative assessments don't "just tell us what students don’t know; it also gives us a glimpse of what they do know. When we know what they know, we know what they are ready for, and that empowers student learning."

Students classify & sort stuffed animals using various criteria, & then ask questions to guess the animal in a Mystery Box. After reading The Animals Will Not Sleep, they design & build a bed that perfectly fits a stuffed animal from home. An engaging context, connections to home, & so much math!

How can the design of a classroom promote the distribution of math authority, equitable participation, and respect for different learners? How can it ensure that students see themselves, feel welcome, and understand that this will be a joint undertaking? - @martamath0901.bsky.social

Classroom agreements can "send msgs about what it means to be doers of math & how to be resources for & learn from each other. They can foster equitable participation & support & promote autonomy, interdependence, & confidence. They can also disrupt both patterns of marginalization & privilege."

Classroom agreements can "send msgs about what it means to be doers of math & how to be resources for & learn from each other. They can foster equitable participation & support & promote autonomy, interdependence, & confidence. They can also disrupt both patterns of marginalization & privilege."

How can the design of a classroom promote the distribution of math authority, equitable participation, and respect for different learners? How can it ensure that students see themselves, feel welcome, and understand that this will be a joint undertaking? - @martamath0901.bsky.social

Getting to know your students is key. Our Student Reflection Tool provides similar questions about elementary students’: prior experiences with math, reflections on themselves as math learners; beliefs and expectations for math class; and participation in math class. www.terc.edu/mathequityfo...

The "key...is not only making sure students understand the problem but also that they have enough space and time to process the information and organize their thoughts. Some productive struggle—and a little understanding from teachers—can go a long way, too."

This post highlights Susan Jo Russell and Deborah Schifter's recently published book, Interweaving Equitable Participation and Deep Mathematics. "Practical tools and a fresh vision" tackling a "critical challenge: How do teachers ensure that all students engage deeply with rigorous mathematics?"

Maria Blanton's work in K-12 Early Algebra Intervention featured in this month's CADRE Early STEM Learning Spotlight which highlights the work of 14 DRK–12 projects that focus on early learning in science, mathematics, and computer science. cadrek12.org/spotlight/ea...

Spark your child’s problem-solving skills with Head Start on Engineering's free, trilingual STEM resources for families. Story-based activity kits, “Sparks!” for everyday STEM fun, Videos in English, Spanish, & Arabic Developed by experts and tested with real families. hubs.la/Q03CDDsk0

Fostering Equity in K-5 Math Communities starts tomorrow! Register today!