November 2024

2025 Spring Conference

Our conference theme this year is “From Standards to Success: Creating Pathways for Each and Every Learner.” Kicking off the conference will be Howie Hua during Friday's opening session. For our closing session, we’re thrilled to welcome Latrenda Knighten, the newly inducted president of NCTM. 

2025 Ross Taylor Leadership Symposium

The Power of Progressions: 

Untangling the Knotty

Areas of Teaching and Learning Mathematics

Session Description: As many teachers look to add high-yield tasks to their repertoire, the struggle to make it all work becomes real.  Let's examine how problem-based lessons can be used throughout the scope of a unit and how we can harness their power to move student thinking forward.  We'll identify strategies and explore tasks that help us find a healthy balance between application, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency.

      WHEN: Thursday, April 24, 2025 9:00A.M. - 3:30P.M.

      WHERE: Duluth, DECC on Harbor Side

PRESENTER: Graham Fletcher (gfletchy.com), Lead presenter with Howie Hua as a featured guest

COST:  1-4 participants $220 per person, after 4 registrations from the same district/group, the  next 5 or more participants are at $175. One free administrator registration for every four 4 registrations.

Limit of 10 registrations per district

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

  • Coffee in AM
  • Lunch
  • CEUs



For more information and registration, go to mctm.org/events

PAEMST Award

Nominate a 7-12th grade Math Teacher

“The Oscars of Math Teaching”

The 7-12th Grade Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 award cycle.  Please nominate a teacher (you can nominate yourself) you believe should apply for this award. Up to 3 state finalists will be named  by March 2025.  The state finalists will be sent on to the national site with 1 person winning $10,000 and a trip to Washington DC.  This award is the ‘Oscars of Math Teaching’. 


Please take the name to nominate a 7-12th grade mathematics teacher.  Just being nominated feels like a win.  Let’s support those doing ‘the work’.  Link to nominate:

https://paemst.nsf.gov/nomination/nominate?awardYear=2025

Math and Science Teachers!

Sign up for the:

2024-25 PAEMST Application Cycle Information Webinar

Date/Time:  Monday, November 18th, 2024 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Hosts:  

Angie Kolonich, MDE Science Academic Standards Specialist

Sara Van Der Werf, MDE Math Academic Standards Specialist

Past PAEMST MN State Awardees

Are you a 7-12 Science or Math Educator in the state of Minnesota?

Are you a Site or District Leader supporting math and science Educators?

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the ‘Oscars of Science and Math Teaching’.  Nominated teachers have a chance to apply (applications are due February 6th, 2025) to become one of up to 3 state finalists in both Science and Mathematics. State finalists will be honored at our state organizations conferences and at the annual MN State Fair.  The PAEMST organization will name one state awardee in each content area that will win a trip to Washington DC and $10,000.   Join us to hear about the nomination and application process and how you can honor and support MN’s best science and math teachers for the great work they do for MN’s students.  To sign-up for the FREE webinar, go to MCTM's Event Page

Webinar Topics:

  • What is the PAEMST award?  
  • Nominations
  • The Application Process and Deadlines
  • Support
  • Tips from past MN awardees
  • Q&A

Register Now!

Updates

MCTM Foundation Update: November

Thank you to all who have donated to the MCTM Foundation.  

Donations from educators and others committed to supporting teachers drive the Foundation’s ability to offer the following professional development opportunities. As of summer 2024, the MCTM Foundation has awarded 9 Arnie Cutler Scholarships for a total of $7,654.80.  The Foundation has also awarded 165 Spring Conference Support grants worth $60,826.88. Read more

Check out the MathCounts Update for more information about upcoming competitions. 

Opportunities in November
https://summit.makemathmoments.com/

2024 MN Math Leaders

2025 Math Leader Book Clubs

Sign-ups for the 2025 (January - April) Minnesota Math Leader Book Club Group sign-ups will open on the MCTM Events Page by mid-November.  Groups will meet virtually 3-5 evenings in informal conversations centered around the book.  More information will come out soon.  Buy your books and join MN Math Leaders in deepening your learning around mathematics learning and instruction.  All groups are free to join. BYOB (bring your own book).  

1) Rethinking Disability in Mathematics by Rachel Lambrect   Leader:  Christine Quisley 
2) MN Indigenous Communities Book Selection(s) Year 2. Book Selections from Birchwood Books.  Leaders:  Amy Nolte and Laura Wagenman 

3) Beyond Answers by Mike Flynn (The 8 Math Practices in K-2) Leaders:  Margaret Williams & Emily Payan
4) The Fact Tactics Fluency Program: Building Reasoning Skills for Multiplication in Grades 3-6 by Juli Dixon   Leader: Sarah Moffett
5) Invigorating High School Math by Steve Leinwand and Eric Milou   Leader(s): TBD

One Stop Shop Page for all MN Math Links and Resources

Are you struggling to find a Minnesota Math link or Resource?  Try starting with the One-stop shop google doc that links to Minnesota Math standards, assessment links, videos and more.  On this page you will find an updated 2024-25 PD calendar and information on MDE office hours.  It is recommended you bookmark this page as it is updated often.  ProTip ‘Ctrl F’ or ‘Command F’ allows you to FIND a word you are looking for on the document. 

MN Math Leaders has its own page on the MCTM website!

The MN Math Leaders Group has its own page on the MCTM website.  More information will be coming to this page soon.  Did you know it is FREE to join this group?  Find the link to join the group on this page and please share with others.  We are on a mission to have at least one person from all 500+ MN school districts connected to this group.  

As a reminder, the MN Math Leader group has monthly PLC meetings on the 3rd Tuesday (from 12:30-2:30 p.m) and 3rd Thursday’s (from 4-6 p.m.).  This group is open to all MN Math teachers and district leaders. November’s PLC dates are November 19th and 21st.

MCTM is on Youtube!

Did you know MCTM has an active YouTube Channel?  

Are you subscribed to MCTM’s YouTube Channel?

In the 2024-25 School year MCTM will be releasing  over a dozen Math PD videos, most of which come with PD module links in the description to be used by MN sites/districts to support math learning across the state. 

This fall we have released 7 videos of recent MCTM webinars:

Coming in January 2025 will be weekly short videos from a variety of MN Math creators.  If you are interested in creating math content for the MCTM YouTube channel, reach out to mctm@mctm.org .

Articles

Pose Questions to Elicit Student Thinking

The Minnesota STEM Teacher Center website provides K-12 teachers with insights and materials to understand the current 2007 academic math standards that are in effect through the '26-'27 school year. As mentioned in the last two MathBits, new professional development materials anchored around the new 2022 standards are now available. This month the focus is posing purposeful questions to elicit student thinking which are two of the Mathematics Teaching Practices (What teachers do) in the new standards. Read more.

Article by James Brickwedde, Project for Elementary Mathematics

Why Is It The Best One: A Twist On “Which One Doesn’t Belong”

Are you looking for a new way to use a high-quality instructional routine in your class? Read more!

Article by Alexis Wolf, Region 4 Director

Your Experience Is Valuable: Why You Should Consider Presenting at the MCTM Spring Conference

Have you ever considered presenting at a conference, but talked yourself out of it? The MCTM Spring Conference Committee is calling for proposals for sessions at the MCTM 2025 Spring Conference, April 25 through 26. Read more to find out ways you can present and why you should consider doing it!

Article by Sarah Moffett, Vice President Elementary

Positioning Students as Learners and Doers of Mathematics

One of the key recommendations from Catalyzing Change reminds us that “Mathematics instruction should be consistent with research-informed and equitable teaching practices that nurture children’s positive mathematical identities and strong sense of agency.”   

Read more on how to nurture positive mathematical identities and a strong sense of agency while establishing inclusive, student-centered classroom communities.

Article from NCTM by Latrenda Knighten, NCTM President, @LatrendaK

Follow MCTM on your favorite social media platform.

X (Twitter):  @mctm_mn

Threads:  @mctm_mn

Instagram:  @mctm_mn

TikTok: @mctm_mn 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mctmMN/

You can also join our private Facebook Group for Minnesota Teachers https://www.facebook.com/groups/146307206148226 

This message was sent to you by Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time.
MCTM: PO Box 130816, Roseville, MN 55113

mctm.org