Exemplary Program

Grade 3 Mathematics
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 justifications2/3
  • 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

      Superscripts indicate evidence of Effective Teaching Practices from Principles to Actions (NCTM, 2014)                                      Revised 2019-2020

      Components of the Exemplary Elementary Mathematics Program are further detailed in grade level Canvas courses.

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