Your guide to grow and learn as a math teacher! Let's face it, teaching elementary math can be hard. So much about how we teach math today may look and feel different from how we learned it. Today, we recognize placing the student at the center of their learning increases engagement, motivation, and academic achievement soars. Teaching math in a student-centered way changes the role of the teacher from one who traditionally "delivers knowledge" to one who fosters thinking. Most importantly, we must ensure our practice gives each and every student the opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve at high levels, while providing opportunities to develop their agency and authority in the classroom which results in a positive math identity. Whether you are a brand new teacher or a veteran, if you find teaching math to be quite the challenge, this is the guide you want by your side. Designed for just-in-time learning and support, this practical resource gives you brief, actionable answers to your most pressing questions about teaching elementary math. Written by four experienced math educators representing diverse experiences, these authors offer the practical advice they wish they received years ago, from lessons they've learned over decades of practice, research, coaching, and through collaborating with teams, teachers and colleagues-especially new teachers-every day. Questions and answers are organized into five areas of effort that will help you most thrive in your elementary math classroom: 1. How do I build a positive math community? 2. How do I structure, organize, and manage my math class? 3. How do I engage my students in math? 4. How do I help my students talk about math? 5. How do I know what my students know and move them forward? Woven throughout, you'll find helpful sidebar notes on fostering identity and agency; access and equity; teaching in different settings; and invaluable resources for deeper learning. The final question-Where do I go from here?- offers guidance for growing your practice over time. Strive to become the best math educator you can be; your students are counting on it! What will be your first step on the journey?

"Seldom has a book been as timely or as necessary as Productive Math Struggle is today. . . One of the remarkable accomplishments of SanGiovanni, Katt, and Dykema's work lies in how they seamlessly connect the research on high-quality tasks, high expectations, identity, and equity to productive math struggle. This is perhaps their greatest contribution. The authors see productive math struggle as a critical feature of mathematics classrooms that support access, equity, and empowerment, specifically arguing that every student is 'worthy of struggle.'" From the Foreword by Matt Larson, Ph.D. Past President (2016-2018), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Associate Superintendent for Instruction, Lincoln Public Schools, Nebraska Struggle is hard. Productive struggle is power. All students face struggle, and they should-it is how they learn and grow. The teacher's job is not to remove struggle, but rather to value and harness it, helping students develop good habits of productive struggle. But what's missing for many educators is an action plan for how to achieve this, especially when it comes to math. Persevering through difficult challenges to reach new learning is the core of Productive Math Struggle. When left unsupported, struggle can become unproductive and demoralizing, negatively influencing students' mathematical identities. The authors guide teachers through six specific actions-including valuing, fostering, building, planning, supporting, and reflecting on struggle-to create a game plan for overcoming obstacles by sharing Actionable steps, activities, and tools for implementation Instructional tasks and vignettes representative of each grade level Real-world examples showcasing classroom photos and student work samples A book study guide is available under the Free Resources tab that helps math educators to learn together on how to incorporate productive math struggle in their classrooms. Revolving around the idea that math is a way of thinking and understanding, and not just the pursuit of answers and procedures, this book empowers students to embrace productive struggle to build essential skills for learning and living-both inside and outside the classroom.