Math Instruction ~ Maintaining a High Level of Rigor
This is a 5th-grade classroom
As school systems emphasize increased rigor, many may find that we must ask ourselves, “Are we educating students for a life of tests or the tests of life?”
A key to rigor in mathematics is that the teacher must maintain it even when problems become challenging for students. When students are solving problems with no clear pathway, the teacher DOES NOT provide a sample or model pathway for students to follow. Instead, students should be given the opportunity to develop and test solution strategies, either individually or in a group. As the students work on the problem, the teacher should provide feedback rather than answers.
Produced by Teach & Kids Learn (TKL) Professional Development Group
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