Leading professional learning about dialogue in mathematics lessons: A focus on Talk Moves
In some of my recent work with primary school mathematics leaders in New South Wales, we have focused on ways of supporting teachers to engage their students in mathematical dialogue during mathematics lessons. We have focused on this considering that we know that effective teachers of mathematics know how to facilitate discussions in mathematics lessons. We also know that effective teachers can use that dialogue as a time for the students and the teacher to co-construct meanings about mathematics through that classroom talk.
My work with those mathematics leaders has been influenced by that of the NCTM, in particular, their work concerning the Principles to Action (2014). The NCTM endorsed eight practices that highlight ways of teaching mathematics effectively. Of those eight practices, one of them highlights a teacher practice concerned with the facilitation meaningful mathematical discourse. This is elaborated further with mention of the teachers’ use of knowledge and strategies that promote the building of shared understanding by and for the students. The focus of that discourse is on the analysis, comparison and contrast of student approaches, strategies, ways of thinking, and the arguments that take place through classroom dialogue.
As a way of enacting practices associated with mathematics dialogue in maths lessons, the mathematics leaders and I have explored the use of Talk Moves (e.g., Chapin, O’Connor, & Anderson, 2009). Since their introduction, the Talk Moves have been revised and interpreted in multiple ways. For example, the NSW Education Department has created some helpful resources on the Talk Moves based on the work of Chapin et al. (2009) which can be accessed via this URL (NSW Government numeracy resources: Talk moves). The Talk Moves, in whatever form they take, have provided the mathematics leaders with tools to support their leadership of school-based professional learning. This professional learning has focused on ways to develop teachers’ ability to highlight dialogue in their mathematics teaching by using the Talk Moves.
The Talk Moves on which we agreed to focus teachers’ professional learning on included: revoicing, restating, agree/disagree, reasoning, adding on, and wait time. After a coaching discussion with one mathematics leader, a dialogue move concerned with clarifying was also added. Working with some of the mathematics leaders in their schools, a general approach to leading teacher professional learning about the Talk Moves was developed.
Here are some of the leadership actions that were enacted by the mathematics leaders:
- Auditing questioning practices and the types of dialogue already used by classroom teachers, using the Talk Move types to categorise the question and dialogue types
- Reflecting on what aspects of dialogue practice is a strength of teachers’ activity in classrooms, and which Talk Moves had the potential to be focused on and developed
- Engaging teachers in professional reading opportunities about the importance of dialogue and how questioning can support the facilitation of discussions in mathematics lessons. Some of the mathematics leaders shared the section on mathematical discourse by the NCTM (2014)
- Posting Talk Move questions on anchor charts in the staffroom and teacher planning rooms where professional learning takes place and inviting teachers to add new questions that they find useful in developing each of the Talk Moves
- Creating Mathematics Learning Walls (e.g., Stewart & Makin, 2017) where questions were posted as a means of prompting teachers to use the Talk Move questions and statement; further anchor charts were used on those learning walls as a way of making dialogue more visible to students
- Setting goals with teachers to develop one or more of the Talk Moves, including planning evidence of goal achievement and strategies to make the goal a part of teacher practice
- Co-teaching in classrooms so that teachers could see the mathematics leader model the use of Talk Moves and their associated questions, and so that the mathematics leader could provide feedback to classroom teachers
- Creating Talk Move prompt cards (see below) which teachers used during mathematics lessons, and then using the cards with students as a way of encouraging more student-to-student talk
The ultimate goal of working with teachers to develop their practice with Talk Moves is so that students can engage in dialogue with each other using those dialogue moves. This is an ambitious goal to set for classroom teachers, but it is not unachievable. One of the mathematics leaders with whom I work has decided to create Talk Move cards (the final leadership action listed above).
These cards (downloaded from the link below) can be printed, cut out, and compiled, and then used by both teachers and students in mathematics classrooms. The mathematics leader intends to have their teachers use the cards as a prompt for their own teaching but also use the cards as a tool that encourages students to ask each other questions during mathematics lessons. There are plans for the mathematics leader to support teachers by encouraging them to focus on a specific Talk Move with their students for a set timeframe. Teachers will also be encouraged by the mathematics leader to set learning intentions and success criteria with students which are based on their students’ ability to engage in mathematics dialogue using the Talk Moves.
Example of the Talk Move cards prepared for teacher and student use.
The mathematics leader also intends to ask teaching support staff members like the Classroom Support Assistants (CSAs) and Learning Support Officers (LSOs) to use the Talk Moves prompt cards. The reason for this is because the mathematics leader noticed that, in their work with supporting learning in classrooms, the CSAs and LSOs tend to support at-risk and vulnerable students by telling them what to say and what to think during mathematics lessons. That mathematics leader believes that the Talk Moves prompt cards would be helpful in moving the practices of the CSAs and LSOs from teaching focused on telling to teaching focused on questioning.
I would be keen to hear from primary school mathematics leaders who have focused their school-based professional learning leadership activity on the use of Talk Moves. The mathematics leaders with whom I work would appreciate hearing about your leadership actions so that they might enact similar activity that supports teacher professional learning in their schools.
The Talk Moves cards can be downloaded using the link below:
Talk moves prompt cards – Created by Matt Sexton
References
Chapin, S., O’Connor, C., & Anderson, N. (2009). Classroom discussions: Using math talk to help students learn, Grades K-6 (2nd ed.). Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring mathematical success for all. Reston, VA: NCTM
Stewart, R., & Makin, L. (2017). Mathematics learning walls: The third teacher in the classroom. Prime Number, 32(4), 16-18.
LEaDME: Leading Educators and Development in Mathematics Education 