PD for the SOUL
Welcome to PD for the Soul, the podcast that nourishes your passion for teaching with research-driven insights, inspiring case studies, and thought-provoking conversations with special guests. Relaunching January 2025, we’re here to help you connect the dots between theory and practice, with a special focus on mathematics education. From innovative strategies to deepen math instruction to stories that bring numbers to life, PD for the Soul is your go-to resource for growth, innovation, and inspiration in education. Let’s transform classrooms—one concept, lesson, and student at a time.
PD for the SOUL
Closing Strong: Data-Driven Teaching for Maximum Impact
In this episode of PD for the Soul, we're getting intentional about these final weeks of the school year. With benchmark data in hand, it’s time to shift from information to transformation—and that means making every instructional moment count.
Join us as we unpack how teachers can close strong by using data to drive targeted instruction, balance content pacing with critical reteaching, and boost student confidence just in time for end-of-year assessments.
We also dive into a practical, powerful routine: The Three Reads Strategy—a structured approach to helping students make sense of word problems and deepen their problem-solving stamina. Here’s the breakdown:
- Read 1: What is the situation about?
Look for students identifying context and key relationships—not rushing to numbers. - Read 2: What is countable or measurable?
Encourage annotation and discussion about quantities, units, and values. - Read 3: What strategy should I use to solve?
Listen for students articulating reasoning, and referencing strategies discussed in class.
As you implement this in your classroom, observe student annotations and listen carefully to how they explain their thinking. For students who’ve struggled with problem-solving, encourage them to focus on mastering one strategy well—depth over breadth is the key to confidence and growth.
Whether you're reteaching, remediating, or ramping things up for rigor, this episode will help you finish the year with clarity, impact, and purpose.
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of PD for the Soul! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators.
You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students.
Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode.
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