Math is one of those subjects that elicits strong emotions from educators because when most of us today were in school, it was all about getting the right answer. Now, that is no longer the case in today’s schools. We aren’t solely focused on just getting the answers anymore. We are focusing on the process of mathematical understanding – sharing our thinking in how we solve problems and learning from others’ perspectives.
According to the National Council of Mathematics, the world’s largest mathematics organization, there are eight mathematics teaching practices that develop mathematical understanding in all of our students. These teaching practices include focusing on learning, implementing tasks to focus on problem solving, facilitating mathematical discourse, and building students’ conceptual understanding.