Top 10 Instructional Strategies to Retool Your Classroom

The past four years I have been involved with a Math and Science Partnership grant.  One strong component of this grant is the intensive two week professional learning that all participants must attend.  Two purposes are always a strong component of this grant.  One teachers need to engage in high levels of mathematics to improve their content knowledge and to explore and reflect on their instructional strategies.  Ten instructional strategies tend to emerge every year.   If we could re-tool every math classroom with these strategies, I have no doubt that the United States would become the strongest country on the globe.

#1  Active Engagement

#2  Use of Math Tools

#3 Comparing of Different Strategies/Algorithms

#4 Questioning and Risk Free Environment

#5 Problem Solving

#6 Communication

#7 Connection to the Real-World

#8 Estimation and Using Mental Math   

#9 Schema Based Instruction

#10 Writing and Reflecting on Learning