After 35 years in Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms, Mary Davis “retired”. But she wasn’t done teaching. As the Math Instructional Coach at Raymond Elementary School, Davis collaborates with teachers from first to fourth grades to help make math fun and engaging.
When a school utilizes a coach, whether it be in literacy or math, it allows for more individualized attention for the students. Teachers and the coach, such as Davis, can work together to find out each student’s academic needs, all with a hope of providing a foundation for more readiness for the future.
“It’s about (two teachers) working together and collaborating,” stated Davis. “I’m another pair of hands and we can do it together. I learn as much from the teachers I work with, whether it’s a first-year teacher or a veteran.”
Although, the idea for Davis the coach is to lend a hand to the teacher she is assisting, she also makes it a point to give the students some ownership in what they’re learning.
“No. 1 we go in with a plan,” she explained. “We talk about what their goals are and how I can support them in math. I worked in a second-grade classroom last year and we still plan every week. They told me what they were working on and I looked for resources for them.”
Davis also observed that over the years reading was, justifiably so, being promoted as something that is fun and schools have worked hard to ensure that students leave knowing how to read. But what about math? Why couldn’t teachers deliver the same message when it comes to math?
“We weren’t taught to make meaning of (math),” said Davis. “You’re taught that in literacy, but you need to make meaning of math. I often tell kids, no one at the bank is going to ask you what 10 plus 10 is, but you might need to make sure they give you the right amount of money. It’s all about how we can pose real-world situations to children.”
Davis makes it a point to show her students that there are math skills that are required in everyday life. She started a Math Club at Raymond, where 40 of the 100 or so third and fourth graders take part after school once a month – she has also started one with first and second graders with similar participation.
Davis laid the foundation for the club by using a program from online called Bedtime Math, initially taking problems and project ideas from there before developing her own. She has pointed out to students that even helping parents bake a batch of cookies includes numbers and math when figuring out measurements.
Test results and learning comprehension has shown improvement since Davis’ work as a coach began, but she’s quick to point out that their learning is much more than that.
What is important, she says, is that the foundation for a better future in math has been established.
“We’re all so different,” Davis said of how we learn math. “I think kids are more comfortable with math and are more confident.”