How do service learning and self-directed learning connect and what are the implications for early adolescent students? The authors explore both the service learning and self-directed learning literature and research to discover the connections between the two approaches and concepts. This essay reviews existing frameworks for self-directed…

In a successful middle school, school counselors support young adolescents' academic progress and personal wellbeing through a variety of methods. Classroom instruction, or classroom guidance, offers one method of providing such support and features the benefit of allowing middle grades school counselors to reach all students in their schools.…

In this article, the authors describe the two interpretations of mathematical expressions, as a process and as a product. They begin with an initial discussion of Tall's (2013) interpretations of expressions and connect this to state standards. Next, they describe the different interpretations of algebraic expressions based on their work with…

Teaching requires attention to individual student needs by providing both adequate challenge and sufficient support to help students successfully gain academic skills (Shurr et al., 2019). The learning stages framework divides typical learning into four distinct stages: acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization (Collins, 2012; Haring…

This paper introduces a model built upon the Method of Varying Inquiry, offering a didactical approach to problem posing and solving activities that stimulates inquiry-based learning in mathematics classrooms. The model combines the inquiry-based framework with the variation theory and with specific didactical and theoretical elements (the…

While research supports development of a growth mindset in middle level classrooms, it has not uncovered a single solution to developing such mindsets. This article presents a model supporting teachers on their journey to empower students to develop a growth mindset. Grounded in research on teaching and learning and coupled with best practices of…

In this paper, we propose a teaching approach centered on community and care, aimed at fostering a democratic classroom environment. We highlight the communal co-creation of the Rights of the Learner (RoTL) as the foundation for establishing a shared responsibility atmosphere. Our interpretation of the RoTL challenges traditional power dynamics,…

Culture and language play important roles in counting techniques, affecting how students learn math around the globe.

The development and use of learning trajectories is a body of research that has made enormous contributions to the field of mathematics education, offering insight into the teaching and learning of topics at all levels. Simultaneously, the work of building learning trajectories can benefit from explicitly adopting an anti-deficit stance,…

The project team for the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA) has recently begun writing reports focussed on how insights generated by the study can be used to promote learning and teaching. The reports are written primarily for teachers. This short article introduces the reports with a special emphasis on the mathematics and…

Emphasis in teaching and learning statistics has shifted from memorizing formulas and procedures to investigating situations, creating models, and using data to understand problems. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (NGA Center and CCSSO 2010) Grade 8 Statistics and Probability content standards drive this point home.…

This article explores teaching practices described in NCTM's Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. Student thinking, a learning cycle, and procedural fluency are discussed in this article, which is the second installment in the series. [For the first installment in this series see "Promoting a Conceptual Understanding…

Feedback plays an essential role in music education, helping individuals learn to consider creative works from multiple perspectives. In this article, we explore the Critical Response Process, a four-step process for engaging with artistic works in progress. Founded on the principle that both artists and responders play active roles in feedback,…

We describe here lessons learned in designing an early algebra curriculum to measure early algebra's impact on children's algebra readiness for middle grades. The curriculum was developed to supplement regular mathematics instruction in Grades K-5. Lessons learned centered around the importance of several key factors, including using conceptual…

While race, class, and gender are often treated as well-defined and static identities within mathematics education research, we explore gender, race and class as performances through the case of a middle school Black girl, Cameryn. Scenes from video artifacts are deconstructed using a hermeneutic process to reveal how Cameryn positions herself as…