Teachers' Circles are collaborations between research mathematicians, middle school math teachers, and school administrators. They are motivated by the principle that mathematics is better taught as a part of the process of problem solving and critical thinking. This has been a successful approach for engaging the interest of young people in the classroom.
The main activities of a Teachers' Circle are lively discussion sessions led by mathematicians and math educators. The first Teachers' Circle was started in August, 2006. This first Circle brought together 25 middle school mathematics teachers and 5 professional mathematicians for an intense week of work at the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM). Monthly meetings followed, both at AIM and at the home schools of some of the teachers. Based on the sustained success of the Circle, AIM sought to create Teachers' Circles throughout the U.S.
In the summer of 2007, seven teams from around the country, including a team from St. Louis, participated in a week-long workshop at AIM. The purpose of the workshop was to provide training and develop resources as each team returns home to create its own local Teachers' Circle.
Although the Teachers' Circle is for teachers, the real focus is on students. "Working with the teachers allows us to reach many more students. Mathematicians are a wonderful resource for teachers, providing a model for the problem solving nature of mathematics," according to AIM Executive Director Brian Conrey.
The idea for Teachers' Circles grew out of "Math Circles," an activity for children that has its roots in Europe. Math Circles typically involve middle school or high school students meeting after school with a mathematician. The activities are often a mixture of lecture, discussion, and problem solving. An assistant principal in the Cupertino, California School District initiated the idea of the Teachers' Circle. She would attend Math Circles with her students and decided that because the problems and discussions were so interesting, something like the Math Circle would be desirable for teachers. Dr. Blake Thornton, who has worked with Math Circles the past two years on the Washington University campus, agrees that expanding the model to teachers would be beneficial to improving middle school mathematics.
Implementing today's mathematics curriculum with appropriate researched instructional strategies requires significant mathematical understanding by the teacher. In the past several decades, middle school certification requirements, the influx of curriculum materials from studies supported by the National Science Foundation, and the advocated constructivism approach to instruction each sustain this need.
The Teachers' Circle advocates that understanding mathematics is the key to addressing the daily concerns in the schools. Understanding what it is, how it is taught, and how it is learned is the charge. Materials change, tests change, and school structures change. However, if the teacher is well versed in the subject, the material is extraneous, the tests are incidental, and the school structure is adaptable.
For further information contact Dr. Richard Lodholz (Rlodholz(())sbcglobal.net) or Dr. Blake Thornton (blake(())math.wustl.edu).