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"Walk into a classroom in the middle of a math talk and you’ll see the students gathered in a circle, taking turns showing each other math strategies and questioning each other about the accuracy and efficiency of their solutions. The students are sharing thoughts about a single high-quality math problem they worked on solving earlier in the period without teacher guidance. They are processing the math in a different way than when they worked with paper and pencils, manipulatives, and drawings.
This opportunity to connect math and language benefits all the students and deepens their understanding of math concepts. The teacher listens as students converse about their problem-solving process. This gives her a view into the depth of understanding her students have, and alerts her to any misconceptions that should be addressed in later lessons.
After the students exchange ideas, the teacher will ask them to summarize important takeaways about today’s math concepts and strategies. Only then will she chime in with points she wants to emphasize. Here are three tips for guiding math talks."
