TEAM-Math Adds Up at Huguley
Article from the
Chambers County School System Connection
November 2004
“Mrs. McCain needs you a minute.” That’s what I heard preceding my trek down the hall with some concern.
“They’ve got it!” exclaimed Patsy McCain. “They can explain how they solved the problem,” she clarified, “in writing!”
They did have it, and so does Mrs. McCain, a third grade teacher at Huguley Elementary School. That’s what TEAM-Math is all about – articulating a deeper understanding of math in our students, teachers and parents.
Mrs. McCain and all the other math teachers at Huguley spent two weeks this summer in Auburn preparing to meet the challenge of adopting a new math series and philosophy advocated to TEAM-Math. Transforming East Alabama Mathematics is a research-based organization devoted specifically to addressing the fact that Alabama students are consistently performing among the lowest in the nation in math. It is backed by the Mathematics-Science Partnership Program of the National Science Foundation, and of 200 applicants, it was one of seven they funded.
What TEAM-Math proposes is nothing radical. Students can’t be told to understand math without mathematical experiences any more than a child can learn to ride a bike simply by being told how. That concept has changed the look of our classrooms. They are now more inquiry based with opportunities for students to solve and explain problems for themselves. PODs (Problem of the Day) and investigations are becoming common activities for our students. Writing and explaining in math is starting in kindergarten.
We know that realistically, we won’t change our math aptitude overnight, nor can we do it alone.
That is why TEAM-Math stresses communication and involvement of parents. Huguley is holding Parent-Child Math Nights based on multicultural literature, and the staff was pleasantly surprised by the interest and involvement of our parents. One of the most revealing reactions from the events was the parents’ surprise at how much their children could accomplish when given the opportunities to discover answers on their own. Family Math Night Leaders are Fran Groover, Cheryl Nix, Maria Burt and Tolandra Harris.
Teacher Math Teams also meet quarterly with TEAM-Math administrators and partner schools to collaborate on strategies and monitor progress. We are also assigned a liaison from Auburn to trouble shoot and facilitate teachers.
This isn’t easy – it’s time consuming, thought provoking and often frustrating because it is all new. We have to raise our expectations of our students and tenaciously pursue them to foster problem-solving skills. If a third grade class is “getting it” in just three months, then maybe, finally, we are too.
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