Learning How to Teach Math

Extension Courses Target Boston Teachers

Professor Daniel Goroff teaches probability to math teachers.

As Carlos Vieira, a math teacher at Madison Park Vocational Technical High School in Boston, put it, "Sure, there's some complaining about the workload, but the enthusiasm in the classroom is just amazing!" Vieira is not referring to the middle-school students in his Portuguese bilingual math class. He is describing his experience as a student in Theory and Practice of Teaching Geometry, part of the Harvard Extension School's new Mathematics for Teaching Program.

Developed through collaboration with the Harvard Mathematics Department and the Boston Public Schools, the program is geared primarily toward in-service middle and high school teachers and administrators who need certification to teach mathematics. The program also serves the needs of teachers interested in acquiring a master's degree and certified teachers interested in taking new courses to advance their professional growth or meet recertification mandates. "My colleagues and I are grateful to the Extension School for the opportunity to develop professionally and learn mathematical insights that we can put into practice in our classrooms," said Vieira.

Daniel Goroff, Professor of the Practice of Mathematics, Harvard University, is a motivating force behind the program. "This is important work," he commented. "The teachers and the students are great, and, in each course, we learn from each other about both mathematics and teaching." Beginning with two pilot courses in 2001-02, the Extension School expanded the program this year to six courses designed to cover the Commonwealth's official "Subject Matter Knowledge Requirements for Teachers," including calculus. The Extension School also added to existing courses special sections that address math pedagogy, introduced a "Mathematics for Teaching Concentration" in the Master of Liberal Arts in Information Technology, and increased scholarship awards to teachers. In the fall term, 86 Boston public school teachers received partial scholarships from the Extension School, accounting for 117 enrollments. This number represents almost one-fifth of all math teachers in Boston's middle and high schools, and, according to Ed Joyce, Senior Program Director in the Boston Public Schools, the potential for growth is huge.

One major reason for the success of the program is that the instructors are as committed as their students. Paul J. Sally, Professor of Mathematics, University of Chicago, taught Theory and Practice of Teaching Geometry in fall 2002. Sally, the recipient of the American Mathematical Society's 2000 Award for Distinguished Public Service in recognition of the quality of his research and efforts in improving mathematics education for the nation's youth, commuted to Boston on a number of weekends to teach his course. As one delighted student wrote: "I have taken many courses designed for teachers over the past 20 years. This course stands out as focusing on content rather than the latest educational 'fad.' I learned more about geometry, and, as a result, so will the eighth grade students in my town. We are currently implementing a new unit that features many of the hands-on activities from the Extension School course. Professor Sally was entertaining and informative, and kept our attention for six hours on Saturdays. Thank you!"

For more information about math courses, visit the Extension School website.