Status & Mindset Interventions

In her book Strength in Numbers: Collaborative Learning in Secondary Mathematics, Ilana Horn writes: “Judgements about who is smart based on prior achievement or social categories violate a fundamental principle of equity and are consequential: learning is not the same as achievement” (2012, p.20). The resources below were curated to help you redefine "smarts" in math, disrupt status divisions, develop growth mindsets, and foster a collaborative math community.

Anticipatory Planning

How often does your planning for math involve searching for the "best" problem and then thinking about how you want to teach the problem? It's safe to say this is how most of us approach(ed) lesson planning. The problem with this approach, however, is that it is teacher focused and neglects to consider how students might perceive and respond to the problem. Conversely, anticipatory planning focuses planning efforts on imagining how students might respond to a problem and using that information to plan questions that will push and clarify student thinking and build understanding by sequencing and connecting approaches students are already using.

If you've ever tried to facilitate constructivist math learning in your classroom and it fell short of your expectations, it's likely because the key factor, anticipatory planning, was missing! The template below can help you prepare to facilitate constructivist math learning in your classroom. Grab a planning buddy and give it a try!

Anticipatory Planning

How often does your planning for math involve searching for the "best" problem and then thinking about how you want to teach the problem? It's safe to say this is how most of us approach(ed) lesson planning. The problem with this approach, however, is that it is teacher focused and neglects to consider how students might perceive and respond to the problem. Conversely, anticipatory planning focuses planning efforts on imagining how students might respond to a problem and using that information to plan questions that will push and clarify student thinking and build understanding by sequencing and connecting approaches students are already using.

If you've ever tried to facilitate constructivist math learning in your classroom and it fell short of your expectations, it's likely because the key factor, anticipatory planning, was missing! The template below can help you prepare to facilitate constructivist math learning in your classroom. Grab a planning buddy and give it a try!

Our math vision through the lens of the HTH design principles: Equity, Collaborative Design, Personalization, & Authentic Work

Diverse, Untracked

Classrooms

All students K-12 are randomly grouped into classes resulting in a unique opportunity to engage multiple perspectives in collaborative work.

In addition, all students have access to, and are supported in the exploration of intriguing and challenging

mathematics!

Equity in practice at High Tech High

All voices are heard and valued
The classroom structures are set up so that students see value in each other’s thinking

Problems are discussion worthy and the focus is on understanding and making sense of the mathematical concepts (not just the right answer)
We recognize that being mathematically “smart” means:
- Asking questions
- Making connections and identifying patterns
- Predicting and making conjectures
- Representing ideas visually
- Experimenting with new approaches
- Collaborating to help ourselves and others develop ideas
- Being a skeptic

Collaborative Design in practice at High Tech High

Use instruction to build a classroom based on collaborative learning as opposed to competition, where students see and value each other as resources
Students co-construct mathematical knowledge together
Teachers collaborate with colleagues and students to plan lessons and anticipate student thinking

Personalization in practice at High Tech High

Student ideas and problem solving strategies are the foundation for daily mathematical discussion
Students reflect on their learning regularly and set goals for themselves
Teachers confer with students to build relationships and support students in their goal setting
Feedback focuses on strengths and areas for growth

Authentic Work in practice at High Tech High

Students do the work of mathematicians:
- They problem solve
- Justify their reasoning to others
- Communicate their ideas
- Listen to and skepticize each other’s mathematical ideas
- Compare different ways to solve a problem
- Discuss big mathematical concepts
- Reason quantitatively and abstractly
- Apply mathematical reasoning to problems and patterns in the world around them
- Publicly present their thinking