Elicit and Use Evidence of Student Thinking

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis continue the season 5 series on the Mathematics Teaching Practices from NCTM’s Principles to Actions, celebrating it’s 10th anniversary. This month’s practice is “Elicit and Use Evidence of Student Thinking.” 

In Principles to Actions, NCTM describes this teaching practice in this way:

Effective teaching of mathematics uses evidence of student thinking to assess progress toward mathematical understanding and to adjust instruction continually in ways that support and extend learning.

This meaty description provides the fodder for today’s conversation. Our hosts consider what is meant by “effective teaching,” “assessing progress,” and “adjusting instruction continually,” and tie these ideas back to the important work of classroom educators.

Additional referenced content includes:

·       NCTM’s Principles to Actions

·       NCTM’s Taking Action series for grades K-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12

·       Want more ideas for eliciting student thinking in your classroom? Check these out:

o   Descriptors of teacher and student behaviors for this practice

o   Thoughts and linked resources from the Colorado Department of Education

o   A classroom observation tool focused on this practice from the Minnesota Department of Education 

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [e-mail] . Be sure to connect with your hosts on X and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy.