Changing Minds: Coaching for a Mathematical Mindset Sue Chapman, Ed. D.
[email protected] Identity as a Math Learner
Personal Definition of Mathematics
Mathematical Mindset
How to Coach for a Mathematical Mindset
Model Mindset Management
Informal Mindset Coaching
Mindset Coaching Cycle
Cultivate Question Thinking
Paraphrasing for Mindset Awareness
Action Research
Collect & Share Switching Stories
Offer Switching Questions
Data Sources that Reveal Mindsets
Read more about this topic in my Math Solutions blog posts:
Coaching for a Mathematical Mindset, Part 1: https://goo.gl/Nt9Y2W Teacher Mindsets and Student Learning: https://goo.gl/rlMJyi Actionable Feedback as a Means of Promoting a Growth Mindset: https://goo.gl/5SnvX3 Helping Struggling Students Build a Mathematical Mindset: https://goo.gl/N752oN
Read more about a Mindset Coaching Cycle: https://goo.gl/9azrS3
Access the session Power Point: https://goo.gl/vZAlc9
The Case of Lali Lali: I worked with the children on cut-and-color triangles. I have done it many times, children love it… Researcher: Could you please describe the activity? Lali: It is a good task. It is interesting. I bring a large drawing of a round pizza. It has some red color for the tomato sauce and some yellow color for the cheese. Four black diameters are marked on the pizza. I as the children to cut out triangles of pizza. Then each child gets one triangle of pizza and draws on it mushrooms, olives, whatever, [adds enthusiastically]. The activity speaks to the children. It makes triangles relevant to life. It’s really fun. Only that… Researcher: What? Lali: You see, Ron, a very clever kid, said that he thinks a triangle can’t have a bend, because all sides must be straight. What should I do with Ron? I know our session is ending right now. Please just give me an idea. Researcher: Well…Ron has a point. We MUST talk about triangles. Please don’t work on triangles in kindergarten until we talk.
Lali’s Journal Entry after the Conversation I feel bad, frustrated and very insecure. For a long time, I believed I was working well, but I enthusiastically taught something that is apparently an error. I’m embarrassed. I must learn. Not to mislead the kids. I’m not sure if I’ll dare talk about triangles in kindergarten ever again! But I believe I have to know in case a child says something. I really want to be excellent for the kids. Perhaps to be on the safe side I shouldn’t do any geometry in my class. It’s better not to teach than to teach errors. I have no words to describe my awful feeling about the harm I may have done to the kids.
Adapted from: Tsamir, P., & Tirosh, D. (2009). Affect, subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge: The case of a kindergarten teacher. In Maaß, J., & Schlöglmann, W. (Eds.), Beliefs and attitudes in mathematics education (19-31). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.