Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Mathematics Opinion

How Teachers Can Improve Their Math Instruction

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 09, 2024 1 min read
0724 opinion summer posts math bander fs
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

I’m not a math teacher, but I assume that those who are, like the rest of us educators, can always use good ideas on how to improve instruction.

Based on the feedback I’ve received on the posts in this collection, I think you’ll be able to find more than a few useful suggestions.

mathisfun

1. 11 Ways to Make Math Instruction More Accessible to English-Learners

Breaking down math steps into clear language is one way teachers can help English learners grasp both the content and academic language. Read more.

2. Math Might Be a Universal Language. But Don’t Teach It That Way

Encouraging students to use their first language helps them make math connections, increasing their understanding and engagement. Read more.

3. Math Is Also a Foreign Language to English Learners. How to Reach Them

As tough as math mastery can be for any student, learning it along with English calls for additional strategies. Try these nine. Read more.

Here are a few older posts that are also helpful:

4. 10 Teacher-Proofed Strategies for Improving Math Instruction

To move past “drill and skill,” educators can draw inspiration for creative math lessons from students’ everyday experiences. Read more.

5. Four Teacher-Recommended Instructional Strategies for Math

Four teachers share their favorite strategies for math instruction, including the Concrete Representational Abstract approach. Read more.

6. Twelve Ways to Make Math More Culturally Responsive

Four educators share ideas for using culturally responsive teaching in math class, including by helping students make community connections. Read more.


    Similar topics from Classroom Q&A:

    Related Tags:

    The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

    Events

    Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting Struggling Readers in Middle and High School
    Join this free virtual event to learn more about policy, data, research, and experiences around supporting older students who struggle to read.
    School & District Management Webinar Squeeze More Learning Time Out of the School Day
    Learn how to increase learning time for your students by identifying and minimizing classroom disruptions.
    Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2026 Survey Results: How School Districts are Finding and Keeping Talent
    Discover the latest K-12 hiring trends from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of job seekers and district HR professionals.

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    View Jobs
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    View Jobs
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    View Jobs
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
    View Jobs

    Read Next

    Mathematics High-Achieving Black and Latino Students Are Often Shut Out of Algebra 1
    Middle schoolers' access to the course is stratified along racial, socioeconomic, and regional lines, new research finds.
    3 min read
    Logan Jeffiers teaches an eighth grade pre-algebra class on April 28, 2023, at Medlin Middle School in Trophy Club, Texas.
    Logan Jeffiers teaches an eighth grade prealgebra class on April 28, 2023, at Medlin Middle School in Trophy Club, Texas. New data confirm that even when they have similar academic marks as their white peers, Black and Latino students tend to have less access to the gatekeeping course of Algebra 1.
    Amanda McCoy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram via TNS
    Mathematics Opinion Want Students to Gain Math Confidence? Celebrate Their Mistakes
    A veteran educator shares six ways student errors can reshape how math is taught and experienced.
    Wendy W. Amato
    5 min read
    A group of students leaps from x's and math symbols. Learning from their math mistakes.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
    Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Building Foundational Math Skills and Beyond
    This Spotlight will provide insights on helping students build foundational math skills.
    Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Teaching Tools to Make the Math Journey Easier
    Students need to see math as useful and doable. This Spotlight focuses on giving teachers tools to help in that journey.