Celebrating Professional Learning

October 2020

More than 175,000 teachers of mathematics all over the world participated in NCTM’s 100 Days of Professional Learning and continue to see themselves as lifelong learners. This number includes those attending during the live webinars from April to October, on Facebook, and those watching the recordings later. And this number continues to grow!

During the webinars, I was fortunate to meet thousands of mathematics educators asking insightful questions, offering profound ideas, sharing experiences, and exuding enthusiasm for teaching and learning mathematics.

I would like to acknowledge and celebrate the many who worked behind the scenes to make this professional learning opportunity possible. It all began as a result of COVID-19 with the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 NCTM Centennial Annual Meeting and Exposition in Chicago, where we planned to celebrate 100 years of NCTM. It was time to pivot! Board member Beth Kobett had the idea that we could take the content of the original program and transform it into a virtual event to support teachers. From Beth’s idea and the Board’s brainstorming, 100 Days of Professional Learning was organized and launched on April 1. It transformed two years of work by Cindy Bryant and her program committee into a professional learning opportunity that started in spring and lasted until fall and reached an audience far exceeding the one that would have come to Chicago.

I want to thank the speakers who transitioned their in-person presentations planned for the Centennial Annual Meeting to a virtual platform. Speakers and NCTM staff rose to the occasion, designing and supporting sessions that engaged attendees, provided opportunities for reflection and dialogue, and addressed the current, evolving needs of teaching mathematics during the pandemic. Thanks also goes to the facilitators who were members of the Centennial Conference Program Committee, the NCTM Board of Directors, the Mathematics Education Trust (MET) Board of Trustees, and NCTM staff along with the chair of the 2021 St. Louis Annual Meeting Program Committee, and leadership from TODOS, who supported speakers by monitoring discussions and questions. We also thank Stenhouse and Reveal Math from McGraw Hill, who sponsored select webinars; and Savvas and Carnegie, who sponsored bonus webinars. It was a team effort!

Of the more than 350 people who responded to a survey of those who participated the 100 Days of Professional Learning series, more than 98 percent said it had value to them. More than 50 percent reported attending at least 10 sessions, and a third of those attended more than 25. At least 5 people attended 100 sessions or more with the bonus sessions!

Attendees appreciated being able to watch when they wanted and at their own pace where they could re-watch, re-listen, and reflect. One shared, “I enjoyed the talks and just getting to sit still and think about my teaching practices.” This format gave them access to content, speakers, and other participants that they would not have had otherwise. One international respondent said, “This model could reach far and wide across the world.” Indeed, it did. We had participants from all 50 states in the United States, Guam, and US Virgin Islands territories, 10 Canadian provinces, and more than 25 different countries.

Participants found the authenticity of teachers sharing what was working and their own challenges during this time supportive and useful. They used words such as immediately applicable, thought-provoking, and transformative. I found this particular statement powerful: “The experience was more than information. It was wisdom. You could still feel the wisdom in the classroom. I enjoyed being a student of such educational leaders.” That is how I often felt as I learned so much that helped me to better understand what teachers, administrators, families, communities, and students were experiencing during this time and yet continuing to focus on what was best for all in teaching and learning mathematics.

There was a sense of connection and community even in the midst of loss, uncertainty, and at times frustration. People found comfort and empathy as they interacted with others confronting similar challenges across the world. They saw this professional learning experience as an opportunity to think deeply about mathematics, discuss mathematics pedagogy, explore new or unfamiliar technologies, examine effective assessment practices, and renew their enthusiasm for teaching mathematics.

Overwhelmingly, they have found specific concepts they took back to their classroom or used to support other colleagues, gaining new ideas, challenging beliefs, and growing professionally. These ranged from ways to facilitate mathematical discourse—whether in the physical classroom or virtually—to determining which technology tools and resources best support student mathematical learning or provide opportunities for students to share their mathematical thinking with their peers and teachers.

Participants shared challenges that continue to affect their work and lives that included making learning engaging, managing classrooms in the varied learning environments they find themselves in, and balancing personal time management with so many expectations. This volume of work can be overwhelming. They worry about their students’ emotional health and learning progress, and they worry about their families and friends. Through it all, they continue to support students engaging in and learning rich mathematics; seeing the wonder, joy, and beauty in mathematics; and developing positive attitudes toward mathematics and about themselves as thinkers and doers of mathematics. I urge us all to “honor each educator in their space,” as one respondent shared, realizing that each has their own circumstances, priorities, limitations, and challenges during this time.

Even with so much challenging us now, we have much to celebrate. Together we are a powerful community of teachers and learners of mathematics. According to Jenny Bay-Williams and Karen Karp in Growing Professionally (NCTM 2008), “Teachers consistently ask the question, ‘What can I do to help my students succeed in learning mathematics?’” (p. 3), and in doing so, they engage in professional development that builds knowledge and understanding, strengthens communication and community, calls us to change, and promotes reflection and growth.

As an organization during the 100 Days of Professional Learning , we have learned from you as teachers of mathematics. We learned what you value, what you are experiencing, how we can improve the virtual professional development experience, and ways we can better serve and support you in your journey to provide enriching mathematical learning experiences for each and every student. Thank you for these insights as we look forward to more opportunities to bring our mathematics community together. Let’s celebrate professional learning together!

Trena Wilkerson
NCTM President
@TrenaWilkerson

Reference
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). 2008. Growing Professionally: Readings from NCTM Publications for Grades K–8. Edited by Jennifer Bay-Williams and Karen Karp. Reston, VA: NCTM.