Welcome Back!

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We are here again, the beginning of another school year. We are ready to meet our students; learn new concepts; make discoveries; make sense of our world through the lens of mathematics; and explore the wonder, joy, and beauty of mathematics. 

I need to give a shout out to all the volunteers from near and far who helped support Math on a Stick at the MN State Fair. The wonder, joy and beauty of mathematics comes alive when children and their caregivers discover math and grow in their learning through exploration.

This is the time of the year for new – new students, new routines, new colleagues and new learning. Think about the new experiences that we encounter in our lives. Do we have someone that tells us what we should know and do? Do we know where to begin or even what questions we should ask? To achieve success, we need to figure out what relevant experiences we have, what additional information we might need, and develop an approach without a fear of being wrong. We also must have enough perseverance to continue even when progress is hard, and enough flexibility to attempt alternative approaches when we are stymied.  

We are in a year for new learning around the 2022 math standards. This is the year to make a plan for implementation of the 2022 standards into grade levels and courses. Who are the math leaders at: your school – including various grade levels, ML and special education leaders and at the district level who will collaborate to achieve a shared understanding of the standards and content learning progressions? 

As we think about new learning, this is the perfect time to develop a deeper understanding of Mathematical Practice #1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. How do students experience new things in your classroom for mathematics? Do your students explore problems and derive methods from that exploration? Do your students analyze and justify their thinking instead of purely getting a number answer? Is value given to your students prior knowledge, both personal and cultural? Are your students able to leverage their previous knowledge to create new knowledge? 

I am eager for the new school year and the opportunity to try new things. I will continue to deepen my understanding of the ICUCARE framework (quick quiz…Where did ‘A’ appear above?) to structure and guide my instructional practices in alignment with the 8 mathematical practices in the 2022 math standards. I am personally excited to see all my students having the opportunity to be their true selves and show their brilliance.

Have a great start to your school year!

Kristin Johnson

President MCTM 2023-2025