Parent Teacher Interview Night - Math

Here is what Mr. Marenchin posted about Parent Teacher Interview night:

Forward from Jo Boaler's book Mathematical Mindsets:
Imagine your children joyfully immersed in really hard math problems.  Imagine them begging to have their mistakes discussed in front of the class.  Imagine them saying "I am a math person!"  This utopian vision is happening in classrooms around the world......

Carol Dweck
Professor of psychology and author of 
Mindset:  The New Psychology of Success


We need your help to make this continue to come alive for our students (your children) as this begins with having a growth mindset in math (about learning in general).  I often refer to the analogy of learning to ride a bike as a good visual that describes a growth mindset.  To learn to ride a bike we must first fall (probably many times) before we succeed.  By falling our brain grows (i.e. learns) what not to do and makes the appropriate corrections.  This is a simplified example but one that we can all relate to in life.

On our upcoming Parent/Teacher Night you will see two different displays of Math throughout the halls.  Both have the intent of providing parents with a glimpse of how math is taught today.  

First of all, the "How Do You Measure a Pumpkin" activity is meant to highlight how today's curriculum is a gradual progression from grade to grade.  We slowly build the students knowledge over time.  Furthermore, this is an example of a problem with a 'low floor and high ceiling problem'.  This allows all students to enter the problem and at the same time challenge students to go as far as they can.  Overall, this dispels the myths surrounding combined (split) grades.  

Secondly, there will be a manipulative based (i.e. hands on) math activity located outside each classroom.  Please feel free to 'play' with the activity.  Today's math is much more about the process than the product.  Please don't misunderstand, but we do want our Air Traffic Controllers to 'get it right', however, we need students first to be able to conceptualize the math before we put the 'formulas' to it.  Memorizing a formula is one thing, however, learning is something completely different.  

Overall, we need to encourage our young people to not fear mistakes as these mistakes promote positive brain growth (eg. riding a bike).  We would like to leave you with a quote from Jo Boaler's book that summarizes the reason for these activities on this night.....

Teachers, parents and leaders have the opportunity to set students on a growth mindset mathematics pathway that will bring them greater accomplishment, happiness and feelings of self-worth throughout their lives.  We need to free our young people from the crippling idea that they must not fail, that they cannot mess up, that only some students can be good at math, and that success should be easy and not involve effort.  We need to introduce them to creative, beautiful mathematics that allows them to ask questions that have not been asked, and to think of ideas that go beyond traditional and imaginary boundaries.  We need our students to develop Growth Mathematical Mindsets.

Jo Boaler, Mathematical Mindsets