NORMS FOR TEACHERS’ DISCUSSIONS OF STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SETTINGS

In this paper, we share our experiences using student work to engage teachers in learning about students’ mathematical thinking and the need to develop norms for talking about students’ mathematics in professional development settings. In such settings, it can often be challenging to maintain productive perspectives that focus on students’ mathematics. We describe our experiences facilitating a professional learning task designed to support teachers’ participation in discussions about students as mathematics learners. We share discourse norms that can be used by teacher leaders to focus teachers’ discussion on students’ mathematical thinking and a set of questions that teachers may use to reflect on their students’ mathematical thinking as they engage in discussions with colleagues about students’ mathematics.