TURNINGPOINTS: STORIES OF THREE VETERAN TEACHERS REFORMING THEIR MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION

Ëorey Drake

Northwestern University

c-drake2@northwes$ern.edu

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Much research has focuved on the fact that mathematics reform requires significant teacher learning (e.g., Ball, 1997).  Additional work has suggested that teachers at certain stages of their careers may be more or less interested in this kind of learning and reform (Huberman, 1988).  In this paper, I find that it may be the combination of key events at particular stages in teachers’ careers that leads certain teachers to reform their mathematics instruction.  More specifically, veteran teachers who have recently experienced “turning points” (McAdams, 1993) in their understandings about mathematics or mathematics teaching are especially likely to become invested in mathematics reform projects.

In the three cases presented here, these mathematical turning points followed teachers’ active and positive participation in literacy reform efforts.  As a result of these experiences, the three veteran elementary teachers began to view mathematics as a language and mathematical knowledge as a form of literacy.  This new understanding of mathematics influenced the teachers’ practices in a number of ways including focusing them on mathematical vocabulary and explanations.

It is important to understand the nature and implications for practice of the mathematics and literacy connections that experienced elementary teachers are making.  Transferring principles of literacy instruction to mathematics reform may be the impetus that gives experienced elementary teachers both the confidence and the motivation to reform their mathematics instruction.  At the same time, these teachers may miss or misunderstand those aspects of mathematics reform that are subject-specific, moving instead towards more generally reform-oriented teaching practices.

References

Ball, D.L. (1997). Developing Mathematics Reform: What Don’t We Know About Teacher

Learning – But Would Make Good Working Hypotheses.  In S.N. Friel and G.W. Bright (Eds.), Reflecting On Our Work: NSF Teacher Enhancement in K-6 Mathematics.  Lanham, MD: University Press of America: 77-111.

Huberman, M. (1988). Teacher Careers and School Improvement.  Journal of Curriculum Studies

20:119-132.

McAdams, D.P. (1993). The Stories We Live By: Personal Myths and the Making of Self. New

York: Guilford Press.