CONNECTING TEACHER LEARNING TO CURRICULUM
Michael Gilbert, Barbara Gilbert
Harvard University, University of Massachusetts Boston
Teacher effectiveness is influenced by individuals’ knowledge. Traditionally, this
knowledge is measured by the number of college mathematics courses taken. But a
plateau effect indicates student learning is only slightly affected beyond a certain
number of courses, suggesting that advanced classwork may encourage teachers’
compression and abbreviation of the mathematics. This report outlines a plan to
increase teaching effectiveness using curricular materials designed for student and
teacher learning. We posit that unpacking the mathematical knowledge inherent in
tasks can provide entry points for student understanding and essential background
knowledge necessary for teaching. Importantly, embedding professional learning in
curriculum development may be critical to advancing mathematics learning as
continued reductions in school district budgets restrict access to quality professional
learning opportunities for in-service mathematics teachers.