Crime and Punishment: A Tale of Changing Beliefs

26 Jun 202028 Jun 2020

"Man is what he believes."-Anton ChekhovWhat happens when those beliefs are unintentionally racist -- and never examined? This is a story of how I changed a belief I once held…

An Open Letter to the Seattle School Board

28 May 202026 Jun 2020

Last night, I sent off a letter to the Seattle School Board in support of Tracy Castro-Gill, the head of Seattle's Ethnic Studies Program Manager, who was recently removed from…

Blindspots

5 Mar 202026 Jun 2020

---originally published on slowrevealgraphs.com -- In January, I chaperoned a field trip to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. We took in the larger-than-life portrait of George Washington and troops crossing…

The Story of Fibonacci, and the Math Ethnic Studies Framework

17 Oct 201917 Oct 2019

In the late 12th century, a young Leonardo Bonacci -- better known as Fibonacci -- traveled with his merchant father from their home in Italy to Algeria (North Africa). They…

Choosing a Story to Tell: Examining a Lesson Close in 1st Grade

28 Aug 20196 Feb 2022

I had planned to spend my first time in Room 12 observing the classroom teacher and getting to know her students. Instead, the teacher texted me the day before to…

Daysha at the Board: Assigning Competence

2 Mar 20195 Feb 2022

"Sit down, Daysha... Daysha." Six-year-old Daysha shot me an icy glare while she leisurely pumped hand sanitizer onto her open palm. The rest of her class was all sitting on…

“I see the same hands”: Dealing with Discretionary Spaces

12 Feb 201912 Feb 2019

The teacher frowned as she looked out at her 25 students, only 3 of which had their hands raised -- the same three students who always had their hands raised."I see…

“Why is the math teacher here for social studies?”

16 Jan 20196 Feb 2022

I slipped quietly into Room 304, trying not to distract the fourth graders, who were finishing up a writing assignment. I set up my laptop to project to the white…

Strategy 3: Use High-Leverage Instructional Routines (Fessenden/Laib NCTM Session)

8 Nov 20185 Feb 2022

In early October, I presented at NCTM Hartford with the incomparable Heidi Fessenden (@heidifessenden / blog). Our session was called "Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners." Slides available…

Strategy 2: Assign Competence (Fessenden/Laib NCTM Session)

7 Nov 20185 Feb 2022

In early October, I presented at NCTM Hartford with the incomparable Heidi Fessenden (@heidifessenden / blog). Our session was called "Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners."   Slides…

Strategy 1: Reword the SMPs in Student-Friendly Language (Fessenden/Laib NCTM Session)

6 Nov 20185 Feb 2022

In early October, I presented at NCTM Hartford with the incomparable Heidi Fessenden (@heidifessenden / blog). Our session was called "Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners." Slides available…

NCTM Hartford 2018: Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners (Fessenden & Laib)

5 Nov 20185 Feb 2022

In early October, I presented at NCTM Hartford with the incomparable Heidi Fessenden (@heidifessenden / blog). Our session was called "Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners." Slides available…

Doris

23 Jan 20188 Sep 2020

A student from my first ever fourth grade class -- now in his 20s -- contacted me on Facebook today. He was glad that I remembered him. "u and mrs…

Breaking the “100 Barrier” with Jamal

10 Mar 201727 Nov 2018

“98, 99…” Second grader Jamal and I had worked for a full month -- one-on-one, four days per week -- to develop his sequencing skills and mental number line. Every time we made it…