325: Cultivating Student Curiosity and Engagement in the Thinking Mathematics Classroom (Part 2)
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Guest
Lorenzo Rodriguez has been a math educator for the past eight years, joyfully honing his craft and developing a pedagogy that works to help students understand that a mathematician can be anybody, with any background, who thinks in any language. He has served as the Math Department Chair and Activities Director, worked within our cross-curricular Cybersecurity pathway, and hosted “math labs,” collaborative days spent engaging in dialogue about how best to support mathematical thinking in our diverse classrooms.
My co-host in this episode is veteran educator Danelle Almaraz. Danelle was a classroom teacher of mathematics for twenty years and now works with educators to identify and implement their continuous improvement measures.
Summary
This is Part 2 of an episode on how to develop thinking in the mathematics classroom. Last week in part 1, Danelle and I interviewed Dr. Peter Liljedahl. Peter created the program “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” that Lorenzo uses.
Our conversation in Part 2 delves into the challenges and rewards of transforming math education. Lorenzo shares his journey from traditional teaching methods to a more student-centered approach. He emphasizes the importance of building buy-in among colleagues and sparking student curiosity to foster a love of math.
The conversation highlights the power of project-based learning and real-world connections in making math relevant and engaging for students. Lorenzo's implementation of the Thinking Classrooms model showcases how collaborative problem-solving can transform the classroom dynamic. The episode also addresses the need to rethink assessment to measure student understanding and growth better.
The episode concludes with a hopeful outlook on the future of math education, emphasizing the potential to create more equitable and engaging learning experiences for all students.
Social Media
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About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
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"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.