Math Coach Minutes

Math Coach Minutes Monday, September 14, 2009  Michael will… -email us the site for playing cards – emailed Math Coaches on 9/15 -meet with Nancy Magnum to work on a place for us to share ideas, etc and ways to incorporate technology into math -email the group info that Susan Engel emails about Blue Diamond – emailed Math Coaches on 9/16 -email what is emailed to you from group members – emailed Types of Coaching Models on 9/16, emailed minutes on 9/16

Magical Numbers – Michael shared a “magic” trick for numbers. Math Coaches could use with staff, as a way to introduce themselves (to staff & students), and/or as a way to get math conversation started.

Developing Norms/Code of Cooperation – group created a list of norms to be followed/accomplished in our meetings throughout the year. - Be an active listener - No sidebars - Be an active participant - Focus on the solution, not the problem - Celebrate successes - Open minded to other people’s ideas

Shared Artifacts – ideas of newsletters, a math team at your school to support the entire community (Luella/Green YR.); math talk bulletin board where students pick a picture from a magazine about how they feel about math and write about it, will be posted in the school (Jill/); used extra manipulatives to create math games sets to take home, teachers are given laundry baskets to store the games and to collect as students return, 5 children were chosen to begin to take a bag every two weeks unless they do not bring them back, going to keep adding to the basket throughout the year so in the end there is enough for all children who return them can take every weekend (Kate/); create manipulative bags for students to use anytime there is down time (Peggy/Conn); (greats ideas – I missed many, keep sharing ) -the request for a place for us to share ideas, etc was made -Could use blackboard or a wiki

Data Overview – we silently brainstormed how math was going in Wake County; Michael shared data from last year’s EOGs; we reviewed the data and discussed many insights; a large difference in counting the retests; Michael commented that we are not to “pull” groups unless we are “coteaching or modeling;” group agreed that we had to look at the “big” picture

Evaluation of Math Coach – group took a survey based on 41 things; we will do it 3 times a year and use it as a way to decide what we should be doing

Evaluation of Math Coach – lots of conversation of what we don’t know about math expressions, policies, and procedures for math; feel overwhelmed with the number of times we are telling teachers we don’t know; discussed PLT options, etc.; Michael asked us to pick two questions to work on

Small Group Activity – Who, what, why, what, when, and how is a math coach? We completed a carousel activity; shared each poster out for the group to hear; Why a Math Coach? - support teachers to improve student learning - work side-by-side w/teachers (co-teaching) - use blue diamond and other data w/in the building - support the new math adoption (MX five structures)

Five Core Structures in MX – reviewed the basics of each structure - Student Leaders - Math Talk - Quick Practice - Helping Community - Building Concepts

Blue Diamond – Susan Engel presented blue diamond info, changes, etc for math coaches; all math coaches should have a user name and password; math coaches are only responsible for review the data in order to support the teachers as they plan, discuss, and share with the students; there is a lot of concern about how blue diamond does not align with the instructional guides; please contact your blue diamond contact first if you have any questions and/or issues

Highlighted Responsibilities of a Math Coach – refer to slides on page 12; -Math Coach Regional PLT: Found groups and connected with email addresses. Each group with figure out what works best for them as far as meeting, etc. Michael will try to fit in 30-45 minutes at each monthly meeting for us to meet and discuss.

Documenting the math coach role – reviewed the expectations and what to do

Set a goal for the year – personal goal

Ranking Forms – if just a coach you highlight the students based on the directions and make them eligible in Fulcrum; if a coach and a math intervention teacher are at your school, you must highlight and make eligible; then the math intervention teacher does the criterion points;

Common Forms of coaching – groups shared what they learned; pages 9-13 in Instructional Coaching book by Jim Knight; executive coaching, co-active coaching, cognitive coaching, literacy/reading coaching, instructional coaching

Evaluation Tool – teams came up with 5 things for a possible evaluation tool when someone comes into our building - 5 core structures from math expressions - Manipulative and technology uses - Lesson plan that develops conceptual understandings - Math rich environment - Literature integration - Common vocabulary used - Cooperative learning/differentiation - Real world application - Data driven decisions - Resources being used - Objectives posted & match lesson being taught - Differentiation with questioning - Students engaged in learning - Evidence of integrations - Multiple instructional strategies (whole group, centers, team time, etc.) - Math instruction during scheduled math time

Not going to get to… -article from educational leadership (don’t read ahead ) -will do it next time

Completed evaluation at the end for Michael

Parking Lot questions answered – Number Worlds training in a week (9/21) at Knightdale from 4-6; just show up and sign in; email Michael if you cannot attend and would like another one to be set up for math coaches, math intervention teachers, etc; IRTs are not receiving the same info as math coaches and they won’t; we are responsible for planning the PAC meetings as a Title 1 team; take notes on math expressions this year so we can make it better next year; get your think central login and password from your IRT; Ways to Assess CD from MX is coming soon;