Description:

Growing Curious:
Learning to Respond to Students’ Mathematical Thinking in the Moment

Students are increasingly asked to solve problems together in mathematics classrooms. During collaborative problem solving, teachers must respond to student thinking as it emerges in-the-moment in ways that uncover and advance student thinking. However, responding productively is demanding and complex work that cannot necessarily be planned for in advance. Despite the importance of responsiveness in the mathematics classroom, teacher learning of how to respond is not well understood. This talk examines how developing and enacting a genuinely curious stance toward student thinking supports learning to respond in the moment. Using results from a mixed-methods study of elementary teachers who engaged in a coaching intervention, this talk articulates eight dimensions of teacher learning which span both identity and practice, and considers the implications for professional development and directions for future research.