The Adaptive Expertise of Mathematics Specialists: Planning to Meet Their Students’ Needs

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Supporting Mathematics Teachers: Leadership and Retention

Abstract

The Adaptive Teaching Feedback Loop describes the observations, interpretations, and actions that teachers take to thoughtfully adapt instruction to meet the needs of their students. The purpose of this participatory case study was to examine two expert mathematics specialists’ adaptive decision-making while planning instruction for small groups of second graders. We found that they used XZY (Anonymized for review) assessments to preassess students’ understandings, interpreted these understandings along the XYZ learning trajectories, and then selected lesson activities from the XYZ instructional trajectories. They also considered students’ mathematics identities and engagement, designing instruction around activities that they knew students enjoyed. Most importantly, they approached student thinking with curiosity. These findings shed light on adaptive lesson planning for small group instruction.

Authors

• Melissa A. Gallagher, U.S. Math Recovery Council

• Amy Kanagy, US Math Recovery Council