Standards for Mathematical Practices Observation Tool

STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES OBSERVATION TOOL

Adapted from KATM/KSDE Summer Academy 2011…Developed by Melissa Hancock

Overall: The mathematics tasks focus on developing CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING and encouraging ALL students to make sense of the mathematics and to exhibit higher-order thinking skills. As you observe lessons in the classroom, check to see if STUDENTS exhibited the following behaviors in solving mathematics problems and if TEACHERS facilitated these behaviors by providing cognitively demanding tasks and encouraging sense making for ALL students.

Adapted from KATM/KSDE Summer Academy 2011…Developed by Melissa Hancock Mathematical Teacher: Student: Practice Task (Example) Actions/Responsibilities Actions/Responsibilities Standard MAKE SENSE OF Open-ended problem with no Teacher: Students: PROBLEMS AND solution pathway evident. PERSEVERE IN  Provides time and facilitates discussion  Are actively engaged in solving problems & SOLVING THEM Non-routine problems with in problem solutions. thinking is visible (i.e., DOING MATHEMATICS multiple solutions.  Facilitates discourse in the classroom vs. FOLLOWING STEPS OR PROCEDURES). so that students UNDERSTAND the  Are analyzing givens, constraints, relationships, approaches of others. and goals (NOT the teacher).  Provides opportunities for students to  Are discussing with one another, making explain themselves, the meaning of a conjectures, planning a solution pathway, not problem, etc. jumping into a solution attempt or guessing at  Provides opportunities for students to the direction to take. connect concepts to “their” world.  Relate current “situation” to concept or skill  Provides students TIME to think and previously learned and check answers using become “patient” problem solvers. different methods.  Facilitates and encourages students to  Continually ask self, does this make sense? check their answers using different methods (not calculators).  Provides problems that focus on relationships and are “generalizable”. Evidence & Comments:

Mathematical Teacher: Student: Practice Task (Example) Actions/Responsibilities Actions/Responsibilities Standard REASON Provide a context or situation for Teacher: Students: ABSTRACTLY students that allows them to AND “abstract” the situation and  Provides a range of  Use varied representations and approaches when QUANTITATIVEL represent it symbolically and representations of math problem solving problems. Y manipulate the representing situations and encourages various  Make sense of quantities and their relationships in symbols as if they have a life of solutions. problem situations. their own, without necessarily  Provides opportunities for students  Are decontextualizing (abstract a given situation attending to their referents. to make sense of quantities and and represent it symbolically and manipulate the  their relationships in problem representing symbols), and contextualizing (pause  Tasks that allow for pausing situations. as needed during the manipulation process in order Adapted from KATM/KSDE Summer Academy 2011…Developed by Melissa Hancock Adapted from KATM/KSDE Summer Academy 2011…Developed by Melissa Hancock