Don't Let Your Students Dis Math This is the first of many opportunities I will have to share some of my thoughts with you. Having spent most of my career teaching upper elementary and middle school mathematics, I hope to bring a perspective from the classroom that may be new and may challenge your thinking about how we teach mathematics in ways that support student understanding and success. I would like to begin my term with a challenge to everyone who has a passion for mathematics. Read more]]>
Don't Let Your Students Dis Math This is the first of many opportunities I will have to share some of my thoughts with you. Having spent most of my career teaching upper elementary and middle school mathematics, I hope to bring a perspective from the classroom that may be new and may challenge your thinking about how we teach mathematics in ways that support student understanding and success. I would like to begin my term with a challenge to everyone who has a passion for mathematics. Read more]]>
Read the Daily News to see what happened at the NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition this week in Philly. Thank you to our VOLUNTEERS who did so much to make it a great meeting. See you at the Regionals this fall, and be sure to mark your calendar for next year's annual meeting in Denver!]]>
Read the Daily News to see what happened at the NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition this week in Philly. Thank you to our VOLUNTEERS who did so much to make it a great meeting. See you at the Regionals this fall, and be sure to mark your calendar for next year's annual meeting in Denver!]]>
Registration and housing are now open for NCTM’s Interactive Institute for Grades 3-8 – Algebra Readiness for Every Student.
Algebra is a key to college readiness, better employment, and overall
success for students. But many students lack the fundamental knowledge
and skills to succeed in algebra. You need the right tools to build a
strong math foundation for your students. Join us in Atlanta, July
31-August 2, 2012 and get the latest strategies to give your students
the best preparation for high school, higher education, and beyond.]]>
Registration and Housing are now open for NCTM’s Interactive Institute on High School Mathematics—Infusing the Classroom with Reasoning and Sense Making. Whether
your students plan to attend college or enter the workforce after
graduation, they need the skills to think critically about mathematical
concepts. And you need the strategies to help them. Join us in Los
Angeles, July 24-26, 2012 and take the first step to transforming your
classroom.]]>
Dear faithful Problem to Ponder fans
Dear faithful Problem to Ponder fans
NCTM journals depend on the
volunteer efforts of our members. You can help by refereeing manuscripts. A referee writes
reviews for manuscripts submitted for publication. After receiving a
manuscript, referees have approximately three weeks to return an electronic
evaluation. Your efforts will not only help journals but also contribute to
your professional development. If you would
like to become a referee, you can find information for Mathematics Teacher, for Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, and for Teaching Children Mathematics online.
Professional
Development—A Key to Working with CCSSM 
Looking for something different in the short week before Thanksgiving Break? Spice up your lessons with a cornucopia of seasonally themed ideas for your classroom.]]>.jpg "2011_regionals_after")
Nearly 9,000 mathematics educators gathered for NCTM’s Regional Conferences this fall to network and discuss the latest in mathematics education. NCTM would like to thank its volunteers, exhibitors, speakers, and sponsors for their generous support in making the 2011 Regional Conferences a valuable and unique experience. And if you couldn’t join us this fall don’t worry—the Philadelphia Annual Meeting is this spring, April 25–28, 2012.]]>
NCTM members have elected four new Board members, who will begin their three-year terms on the Board of Directors at the 2012 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia. Elected to the Board were:
Registration is open for NCTM's Annual Meeting—the nation’s largest math education event! Preregister today to receive our lowest early-bird preregistration rates and save up to 36%. Professional Development has never been more fun, exciting, or worthwhile. With international experts, more than 650 presentations to choose from, and the latest resources this is one conference even you can’t afford to miss! ]]>
Take a look at an array of activities for all grade levels that offers some delicious ideas that will be sure to sweeten your Halloween lessons and delight your students.]]>
Take a look at an array of activities for all grade levels that offers some delicious ideas that will be sure to sweeten your Halloween lessons and delight your students.
Eight organizations have announced the formation of the Mathematics Common Core Coalition to provide expertise and advice on issues related to effective implementation and assessment of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Read more...
]]>
Join us at a Regional Conference this fall and plan one full day for the Focus of the Year topic, Technology and Mathematics. Start your day with the morning Kick-Off session and choose from a variety of presentations throughout the day focused on Technology. And don’t worry—you’ll still have plenty of time to explore the exhibit hall and to participate in workshops and sessions addressing essential topics like Common Core, Assessment, and Intervention. Learn more about our Regional Conferences this fall in Atlantic City, St. Louis, and Albuquerque. ]]>
It’s as Easy as Falling Off a Cliff, or Is It? 
NCTM’s Essential Understanding Series allows teachers to reinforce their content knowledge through clear, concise explanations of the “big ideas”—mathematical statements of overarching concepts that are central to a mathematical topic—and “essential understanding”—smaller, more concrete ideas associated with each big idea. Learn more about these new books in the Essential Understanding Series: Developing Essential Understanding of Algebraic Thinking for Teaching Mathematics in Grades 3–5 and Developing Essential Understanding of Multiplication and Division for Teaching Mathematics in Grades 3–5. 
NCTM’s Essential Understanding Series allows teachers to reinforce their content knowledge through clear, concise explanations of the “big ideas”—mathematical statements of overarching concepts that are central to a mathematical topic—and “essential understanding”—smaller, more concrete ideas associated with each big idea. Learn more about these new books in the Essential Understanding Series: Developing Essential Understanding of Algebraic Thinking for Teaching Mathematics in Grades 3–5 and Developing Essential Understanding of Multiplication and Division for Teaching Mathematics in Grades 3–5. 
NCTM President Mike Shaughnessy is pleased to share a special message from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan. In his message, "Sharpening Math Tools for the 21st Century Classroom," Secretary Duncan lays out what is needed to prepare our
mathematics students for the 21st century. The Secretary will also be speaking
at the Indianapolis Annual Meeting and Exposition on Friday, April 15, from
11:00 a.m. to noon.]]>
What happens when you
form partnerships between researchers and mathematics education professionals?
Disrupting Tradition:
Research and Practice Pathways in Mathematics Education offers insights into, and examples of, the role that research plays
in supporting and improving school mathematics while raising valuable questions
for the education community. What lessons have been learned from
collaborations? What forms have research and practice activities taken?]]>
No matter
what the subject of a high school mathematics class may be, infusing reasoning
and sense making into the daily experiences of all students is crucial. “All
students” includes low-performing students; gifted students; students of
different racial, sociolinguistic, and socioeconomic status; students with
disabilities; and students who are mathematically talented. The
writers of Focus in High School Mathematics: Fostering Reasoning and Sense Making for All Students hope to further the dialogue about how to create
for all students empowering mathematical experiences that incorporate
reasoning and sense making.]]>
Can you explain why order matters in subtraction
but not in addition? Or why it is false to assert that the sum of any two whole
numbers is greater than either number? Learn why—and more—with Developing Essential Understanding of Addition and Subtraction for Teaching Mathematics in Pre-K-Grade 2. The book is organized
around two big ideas supported by smaller, more specific, interconnected ideas
(essential understandings). Gaining an understanding about addition and
subtraction is essential as they are the foundation for students’ later
learning of multiplication and division.]]>
Students are
living and learning in an age of new media. Using games to teach math concepts
supports students’ needs for engaging and interactive instruction. This month’s
tips focus on the benefits of using math games as part of
instruction and ways to evaluate a game’s usefulness. Links to free games are
included.
On January 6, NCTM released Making It Happen: A Guide to Interpreting and Implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Building on the Council’s 30-year track record of success in the development of standards for school mathematics, Making It Happen supports teachers, districts, and states in implementing CCSSM.
NCTM's Making It Happen: A Guide to Interpreting and Implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, a 136-page online interactive document connects the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) to NCTM’s:
2009 Program
for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The Nation’s Report Card: Grade 12 Reading and Mathematics 2009 was released on November 18. The results detail the performance of 12th-grade students from school districts across the United States who participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), including first-ever state-level data from 11 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Dakota, and West Virginia. Read the report and more information, as well as NCTM's response. 
Consider the
needs of your students. 
Consider the
needs of your students. 
Ponder This Tangled
Triangular Relationship!
The Essential Understanding Series addresses topics crucial to student development
but often difficult to teach. These books focus on issues of mathematical
content—the ideas and understanding that teachers must bring to preparation, in-class
instruction, one-on-one interactions with students, and assessment.
The Essential Understanding Series addresses topics crucial to student development
but often difficult to teach. These books focus on issues of mathematical
content—the ideas and understanding that teachers must bring to preparation, in-class
instruction, one-on-one interactions with students, and assessment.
OK, so you’ve finished your methods courses—now what do you need to review before you get in the classroom? Consider the following tips:
Models
of Intervention in Mathematics: Reweaving the Tapestry focuses on
intervention as prevention and identifies the characteristics of successful
learners of mathematics. It was written to assist teachers, schools, and school
districts in improving the manner in which they serve children with challenges
in mathematics. The book synthesizes the research on intervention programs and
best practices related to mathematical instructional pedagogy and
differentiation.]]>
Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making in Geometry advocates that students should think, question, and justify whenever they encounter a situation that is new—in school or out. Geometry provides an environment that allows students to "practice" this reasoning and sense-making process; it also encourages them to go beyond formal deductive proof writing as the main goal. By focusing on reasoning and sense making in school, the goal is for students to be able to make more effective decisions in the workplace and in society, in general. This latest book in the Focus in High School Mathematics series will shift your perspective from delivering information to facilitating your students' sense making about mathematics.
Don’t wait to prepare
your students for high-stakes testing. Incorporate problems from past state
tests into the first five minutes of every day as warm-up exercises for the
brain.
Don’t wait to prepare
your students for high-stakes testing. Incorporate problems from past state
tests into the first five minutes of every day as warm-up exercises for the
brain.
Research
can demonstrate what is possible for students—what they can learn under
specific conditions, how they can reach certain goals, and what kinds of
instruction are effective in helping them get there.
Plan for a
successful school year by establishing good habits from the start! Tips include—
Prepare for the new school year—as much as you can—before the first
day of class. Getting the classroom organized and ready for your
students before they arrive will give you more time during the year to
do what you do best—teach math!
Looking for a little levity in your
summer? If so, get comfortable in your chaise lounge or hammock and settle in
with a book of math jokes. Or if you prefer the Sunday comics, NCTM has a collection of math cartoons for you to check out.
As the school year winds down, crank up the fun factor. Engage your students with challenging games, and be sure to involve families to multiply the learning. Send your students home with exercises that will limber up their gray cells while they bulk up their muscles during the summer months.]]>
Take a random walk on the wild side! Roll the dice, spin a spinner, or flip coins to determine your next move. But which one will give you the best chance of landing on a prime number or bonus space? Take the challenge and play Calculation Nation's newest game, Prime Time now!]]>
A joint task force representing the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM), the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics was formed to develop actions and resources needed to help teachers implement the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM). The task force also considered ways in which the organizations can collaborate in supporting their members and various groups to advance each organization’s vision of school mathematics. The joint task force report, which has been shared with the leadership of each organization, identifies five priority actions to be taken as soon as possible.
Refocus how you teach high school math. Shift your perspective from
delivering information to facilitating students’ sense making about
mathematics. Learn what constitutes reasoning and sense making, why
they should be a foundation for school mathematics, and how they link
to other processes. See examples of how to incorporate reasoning and
sense making into your classroom and across the curriculum. 
Whether you are a beginning or experienced teacher, NCTM’s Essential Understanding Series was developed with you in mind. This series addresses topics that are critical to the mathematical development of students but can be difficult to teach. But when teachers are really on top of the concepts, they have a foundation and focus that allow them to teach these topics in multiple ways. Sixteen volumes are planned for the series. ]]>
Whether you are a beginning or experienced teacher, NCTM’s Essential Understanding Series was developed with you in mind. This series addresses topics that are critical to the mathematical development of students but can be difficult to teach. But when teachers are really on top of the concepts, they have a foundation and focus that allow them to teach these topics in multiple ways. Sixteen volumes are planned for the series. 
As NCTM's membership grows, our work and our ability to advocate for math education becomes more effective. To grow our membership, we're asking you for your help. As you talk with colleagues, students, and others, mention the benefits of NCTM membership and ask them to become members. You can earn rewards in this free and super easy program. Learn more here.]]>
As a teacher, you probably spend a lot of time preparing engaging lessons, grading student work, and attending professional development. But, do you take the time to think about the questions you are asking your students?]]>
Mathematics Curriculum: Issues, Trends, and Future Directions