One Teacher’s Journey to Change Her Mathematics Teaching

Abstract

After 15 years of teaching and four weeks ’ participation in an inservice program designed to help teachers use student thinking to teach more meaningful mathematics, Teresa started the new school year by saying, “ I feel like a first year teacher! ” (Teresa, summer 1993). This is a story about Teresa, a sixth-grade mathematics teacher who holds a master’s degree in mathematics education, but still believes she has a long journey ahead of her as she changes her understanding of what teaching mathematics for understanding means. The story begins with a National Science Foundation (NSF) project in which she was directly involved for two years. The story continues with Teresa’s concerns, questions, reflections, and ideas about improving her own mathematics instruction at the middle school level. The story does not end, however, because Teresa is continually struggling with change; yet, the story is optimistic because Teresa has discovered a new direction for her role as teacher. This new direction provides motivation for her to change her teaching methods and create a learning environment in which students reason and make sense of the mathematics they encounter. The purpose of our work is to provide information about one teacher’s struggle to change her mathematics classroom in order that others may find consolation in the realization that change takes time; and, worthwhile, meaningful change takes years. In mathematics, as well as science and other subject areas, teachers are being asked to examine teaching methods to help students develop reasoning skills to compete in the technological world (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,