Exemplary Program

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation

1a Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy

• Use Maryland College and Career Ready Standards to plan instruction¹
• Allocate substantial instructional time for students to use, discuss, and make connections among representations³
• Balance instructional focus on conceptual understanding, procedural understanding and application of mathematics through all levels of Depth of Knowledge
• Use Canvas to plan standards based instruction and assessment
• Determine appropriate instructional structure for lesson

1b Demonstrating Knowledge of Students

• Incorporate students’ life experiences, strengths, and academic assets into planning
• Anticipate student strategies and misconceptions ⁷
• Prepare to support students productively⁷
• Leverage Universal Design for Learning

1c Setting Instructional Outcomes

• Connect mathematics learning through content progressions¹
• Set instructional outcomes that are challenging and rigorous
• Apply mathematics to interdisciplinary content

1d Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources

• Select tasks with multiple entry points through varied tools and representations²

• Use a variety of Canvas resources for balanced instruction
• Work through tasks prior to instruction
• Use approved digital tools for mathematics instruction

1e Designing Coherent Instruction

• Form instructional groups that are heterogeneous and flexible 
• Allot 75 minutes per day for mathematics instruction 
• Plan for number routines, content specific instruction, and closure daily
• Differentiate instruction to meet individual student needs

1f   Designing Student Assessments

• Select tasks that make use of varied approaches, representations, and explanations or justifications^2/3
• Assess students in a variety of ways including but not limited to paper/pencil, performance-based, interviews, observations, and computer-based 
• Determine evidence of student understanding⁸
• Balance assessment of concepts, procedures, and application
• Use assessment to inform instruction

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

4a Reflecting on Teaching

• Reflect on evidence of student learning to inform planning⁸
• Solicit and use feedback to refine mathematics instruction

4b Maintaining Accurate Records

• Use a system to house evidence of student understanding 
• Review student data including MAP, MCAP, KRA, and teacher-selected assessments 
• Use tools such as Mathematics Learning Behavior checklist or Parent Update Sheets 
• Establish and monitor student and class goals

4c Communicating with Families

• Use district tools that share student progress and academic learning
• Use district tools, such as Canvas resources and Computational Fluency Brochures, to communicate mathematics content
• Support student communication of their mathematics learning

• Participate in school events that advance mathematics teaching and learning

4d Participating in the Professional Community

• Collaborate with colleagues to design daily and long-range plans 

• Participate in data discussions to make instructional decisions

• Actively engages in mathematics professional learning

4e Growing and Developing Professionally

• Pursue learning from professional organizations and resources
• Apply professional learning to mathematics instruction
• Commit to ongoing learning and growth

4f Showing Professionalism

• Communicate with asset-based language
• Participate in learning communities
• Shows positivity and enthusiasm for teaching and learning mathematics
• Advocate for equitable access to high-quality mathematics for all students
• Pursue mathematics leadership roles within the team, school or district

Domain 2: Classroom Environment

2a Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport

• Build rapport and understanding of each student as an individual
• Nurture positive mathematics student identities
• Build and maintain classroom community
• Provide opportunities for student collaboration such as partner talk, small group inquiry, and/or mathematics discussion groups

2b Establishing a Culture for Learning

• Foster the beauty, relevance, and purpose of mathematics
• Reinforce beliefs that each and every student is a doer of mathematics
• Support students in exploring tasks without taking over student thinking²
• Give students time for productive struggle⁷
• Help students realize that confusion and errors are a natural part of learning⁷
• Praise students for their efforts and perseverance as well as right answers⁷

2c Managing Classroom Procedures

• Establish routines, procedures, and expectations for mathematics instruction
• Establish opening number routines
• Promote efficient transitions that build student independence
• Establish procedures for closure

2d Managing Student Behavior

• Establish expectations for the classroom community 
• Monitor and respond to student engagement
• Create opportunities for students to self-evaluate their participation and interaction within small groups and the classroom community

2e Organizing Physical Space

• Organize the classroom space for collaborative and independent learning 
• Ensure students have familiarity with and consistent access to manipulatives, tools, and other mathematics instructional resources
• Provide activities and space for intentional mathematics activities including games, puzzles, and problem solving tasks for independent time and early finishers
• Make mathematics learning visible

Domain 3: Instruction

3a Communicating with Students

• Use varied representations to support understanding³
• Communicate mathematical purpose or goal of the lesson¹
• Make explicit connections to student approaches and reasoning⁴
• Use accurate mathematics vocabulary

3b Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

• Allow sufficient wait time⁵
• Ask questions that build understanding rather than funnel student thinking⁵
• Ask students to use representations to explain and justify their thinking or why their procedures worked ^3/6

• Engage each and every student in purposeful sharing of mathematical ideas, reasoning, and approaches⁴
• Select, sequence, and connect student strategies⁴
• Position students as the authors of ideas⁴

3c Engaging Students in Learning

• Pose tasks that require high cognitive demand²
• Select tasks with multiple entry points which make use of varied tools or representations²
• Encourage students to use varied strategies to make sense of and solve tasks²
• Provide students with opportunities to use their own reasoning and methods for solving problems6
• Provide opportunities for engaging practice for procedural fluency⁶

• Use technology to complement instruction

3d Using Assessment in Instruction

• Gather evidence of student understanding during instruction8
• Interpret evidence of student thinking⁸
• Make in-the-moment decisions on how to respond to students with questions that probe, scaffold, and extend⁸
• Reflect on evidence of student learning to inform next steps⁸

3e Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

• Adjust pacing and structure of lesson as needed

• Adjust representations, tools, and/or tasks during instruction 
• Provide opportunities to reteach or extend learning
• Implement accommodations for IEPs, 504, and/or ELL plans