Sorting out the "baby" vs. the "bath water" in Mathematics

In my work as a math consultant, I am often asked for good resources to help as we all make transitions to the Common Core. One book that I found and would recommend especially to all school leaders (who evaluate math teachers) and all math teachers is Sensible Mathematics by Steven Leinwand. It addresses what I have experienced as the most frequent questions and issues teachers face when making the shift to Common Core standards AND better mathematics teaching in general.

In the book, there is a section that describes an effective strategy when thinking about curriculum decisions in math. All math teachers that I know tend to hold on dearly to their own beliefs about what is important to teach in mathematics. I hear over and over again that TIME is our number one issue in math and that we are asked to teach more and more. I don't subscribe to this line of thought. Rather, what we need to do is make great decisions about what we decide to emphasize. In Leinwand's book he describes this as The Baby and The Bath Water Strategy. Below are a few exerpts for thought...

• We are often reminded not to "throw the baby out with the bath water." Less frequently we are reminded that what was once recognized as "baby" may now increasingly be "bath water."
• Mastery of one-digit number facts has always been a critical part of the "baby" and continues to be a critical part of the "baby." It is inconceivable- even in a world of calculators - that they would be cast aside with the "bath water."
• In the case of multidigit paper-and-pencil computation the situation is reversed. It is time that multiplication and division with factors and divisors containing three or more digits and computation with fractions and mixed numbers with denominators like 7, 9,. 11, or 13 finally be relegated as "bath water."
• Just as we survived dropping the square root algorithm from the curriculum-but increased the emphasis on the concept of square root - we can and will survive the elimination of increasingly obsolete, multidigit computation.
• When I realized that I was far more upset that my twelve-year-old couldn't estimate the difference between 7 1/5 and 4 6/7 (with a practical answer of a little more than 2) than whether he could correctly calculate the difference (a precise, but absurd 2 12/35), I began to clarify where the "baby-bath water" line was.

I'm sure there will be more to come from this book. If you don't have it already... get it! :)

The Beginning

The School District of Slinger has hired me as their Director of Curriculum and Instruction and thus a new chapter for me is beginning. I decided to attempt to keep a blog of events and also to create a place where I can keep some resources gathered.

A little bit about me... and what I believe about education.

• All kids CAN and WILL learn to our expectations. That is why it is so critical that we keep our expectations high!
• My role as a curriculum and instructional specialist is to help support teachers in their effort to improve teaching and learning so that all students can succeed to their fullest potential.
• Learning is about the journey. The journey never stops. Thinking that we are going to finally have our curriculum "finished" is a crazy assertion. I have made a commitment to continued learning and promise to keep changing my practices and trying to improve each year.