About Teaching

Ideas you may find useful in discussions with your colleagues.

Hmm....

by Henri Picciotto
Now a math education consultant, after 42 years in the classroom.

I incorporated much of the material on this page in a book I co-authored with Robin Pemantle:

tinow-cover

There Is No One Way to Teach Math:
Actionable Ideas for Grades 6-12
.

20% off with code SMA24 until January 31, 2025

* I marked articles relevant to more than just math teachers with an asterisk.


An article on Reaching the Full Range of students.
Practical suggestions on implementing these ideas.

toolbox

For a tool-rich pedagogy, to reach more students and to deepen understanding.

A presentation on these topics at the UC Berkeley School of Education:

(Slides: html | Keynote) | Shorter version: recorded webinar | Even shorter: recorded webinar


trap

The Assessment Trap: how some approaches to assessment undermine learning, and what to do about it.

Retakes vs. Test Corrections vs. Neither


Taking Notes vs. Doing Math: Students cannot do both at the same time.

About hints: 1 | 2 | 3


Against Hyper-Acceleration of students in math.
Sooner is not necessarily better.


Time Pressure: Bad for Students, Bad for Teachers, a five-minute Ignite presentation.


concepts

Big-Picture Planning: program, course, unit



rep-p

The place and purpose of Puzzles in Math Curriculum



Math as Literacy

(This article links to many blog posts in defense of high school math.)


The Common Core High School Math State Standards — a closer look
(a 20-page in-depth analysis).


There is no one way: An argument for teacher eclecticism.

Effective teachers constantly broaden their repertoire, and learn to make choices that may not come naturally. The Art of Teaching* worksheet may help.

"Art of Teaching" slides, also including slides on transitioning to a longer period*: online | Keynote

It is a companion to "Nothing Works", an article and a talk (outline, slides) in which I present some of my techniques.

I focus on a subset of these in a presentation on "Serving Our Strongest Students" (slides), and "Creating a Problem-Solving Culture" (slides).


An article on teaching in the long period*.

Why I Use the Interactive Whiteboard (2013)

The outline of a workshop for beginning teachers: Everything I Know.


Documents I have written for the Urban School Math Department:
Heterogeneous Classes
Group Work
A presentation on teacher collaboration (slides):
2003 version*, for independent school leaders
2008 version, for math teachers and math department chairs
2012 version*, for independent school teacher-leaders
Articles I co-authored with Jonathan Howland, then an English teacher at The Urban School:
Depth vs. Breadth*, The Urban Community, April 1999. Slides* (2015): online | Keynote
Teacher Collaboration*, Independent School, Spring 2003
Major early influences on my teaching:
Project SEED | Project SEED materials
Every Minute Counts
Geometry: A Guided Inquiry

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