The Team with Guilermo Mendieta

Project Plan:

The Seeing Math initiative was an endeavor at making mathematics more accessible to all students, with a focus on African American students and English Learners. The plan expanded over a two year period with the first year including initial training and practice, followed by another year of coaching, working toward expertise of the methods learned, and training additional teachers. Our team activities are detailed in this project calendar.

The first year included attending four workshops presented by Guillermo Mendieta, the author of Pictorial Mathematics.

All team members  attended the 2nd/3rd grade training, the 4th/5th grade training, the 6th/7th grade training, and the Algebra 1 training. The workshops demonstrated how to teach concepts in the mathematics curriculum both visually and kinesthetically. Each team member teaches sixth grade or above however, it was important for each member to see the progression of the mathematical concepts as students move from grade to grade and to see how the concepts build upon each other and extend into the next grade level. In addition, the plan was to present the ideas learned school and district wide. In order to accomplish this, we needed to have training in all grade levels.

In addition to receiving training in the first year, team members were provided with release time for planning, observation of each other, and data analysis. Release time for planning is important so that each teacher has the opportunity to collaborate with one another and become comfortable with understanding this new practice before experimenting with it in their classroom. Peer observation is an important part of professional development as well. Being able to receive feedback by peers after trying something new is invaluable when developing as a professional educator. All participants learn from one another and can adjust their teaching to best address the needs of their students after observations and debriefings have occurred. Collaboration among team members opened the flow of ideas and promote creativity within and among teachers. Once ideas had been discussed and adjustments had been decided upon, the original teacher who was observed could then observe another teacher implementing the changes. A follow up meeting occurred to discuss the effects of the changes and whether or not these changes were more successful at meeting student needs. Finally, data analysis in an integral part of ascertaining the effectiveness of teaching practices. The Bellflower Unified School District administers benchmarks 3-4 times a year. These assessments provide an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the new practices implemented on a regular basis. Therefore, release time to analyze the benchmark data was necessary to determine successes in the program and to pinpoint areas of greatest need. Additionally, data analysis can assist in identifying areas where coaching is needed in the second year of the project implementation.

The second year of implementation focused on coaching to become experts and extending the learning school and district wide. To meet these goals, team members needed coaching by an expert at these techniques. Team members determined their area of greatest need and work with Guillermo Mendieta to strengthen their teaching practices through coaching 2-3 times throughout the year. Peer observations, planning, and data analysis also continued throughout the second year of implementation. Release time was required in the second year to plan professional development opportunities for the school sites that team members are a part of, and for the remainder of the school sites in the district.

Professional development is an essential feature of becoming a skilled educator. When teachers are empowered and in control of their progression as an educator, they will seek out opportunities to grow professionally and will want to share their successes with others. This will often lead to innovative teaching and the desire to implement more change at a school site and within the district. Success in mathematics at a higher grade level will demonstrate the need for hands-on experiences and the use of manipulatives in lower grades as well. The training from 2nd grade up through Algebra 1 allowed all team members involved to see the larger picture of mathematics, the importance of teaching mathematics at the conceptual level, and how the concepts progress throughout the years. These ideas can be shared during site based professional development days.