SUPPORTING TEACHERS’ EFFECTIVE USE OF CURRICULAR MATERIALS

Using “teacher leader” broadly to include anyone in a position to support teachers in their professional development and learning, this article outlines two approaches for teacher leaders to support mathematics teachers in developing their curricular reasoning. These approaches were used effectively and with measurable improvement in classroom instruction.

Curricular reasoning is the thinking processes needed to work effectively with curricular materials to plan, implement, and reflect on instruction. The approaches outlined in this article are an observation-conferencing cycle and supporting teacher collaboration. During the observation-conferencing cycle teacher leaders are encouraged to employ deep-listening and suspending personal assumptions to help teachers make decisions based on students’ needs and provide opportunities for focused reflection. Secondly, teacher leaders are also called upon to support teacher collaboration by establishing and supporting teacher learning communities. Across both forms of professional development the teacher leader is most effective by employing powerful questions to prompt critical thinking.