Over the summer months the Good Spirit School Division (GSSD) hosted two Summer Math Institutes designed to enhance teaching skills and benefit students. The initiative provides educators with opportunities to learn new practices in teaching mathematics according to the expectations of the renewed curriculum.
For the past three summers, a two-day K to 8 Summer Math Institute followed up by three ongoing days of professional development throughout the academic year have been held. This Institute has trained 80 math mentors. The math mentors are then responsible to return to their home schools and collaborate with other teachers in working through the changes introduced in the renewed math curriculum.
The GSSD contracted Professor of Mathematics at York University and University of Toronto, Dr. Trevor Brown, to work with these teachers.
"Both of these Summer Institutes provide teachers with a multitude of opportunities to gain expertise in engaging their students in the learning and understanding of math," states Susan Maserek, Superintendent of Schools. "Our approach to teaching math has changed dramatically over the past few years. There is more emphasis on having children make sense of the math they are learning and to communicate their understanding in various ways."
Four years ago, the provincial Assessment For Learning data showed that this school division, along with the entire province, was struggling in the area of problem solving. As a result, the GSSD's "Know Problems" initiative was undertaken.
"Although we started these Institutes to increase capacity within our own teaching community, we were pleased to be able to open up both Institutes to teachers from other school divisions. This was well received and we plan to continue these Institutes in the future," concludes Maserek.
"We are noticing a change in attitude among students. When they are actively engaged in their own learning, they are enjoying math and seeing the connections from the math they are learning to real-life situations."
