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PRACTICE EVIDENCE-BASED

Math Teaching Strategies

IN A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

Participation in SIM PD provides opportunities for Grades 4 and 5 math teachers to:

  1. Learn questioning and discussion facilitation strategies that promote student engagement and understanding of math concepts

  2. Collaboratively practice the strategies with fellow teachers using a simulated virtual classroom where avatar students respond to teacher actions in real time

  3. Receive support from a district or school coach trained by AIR to lead the SIM PD activities

Why SIM PD?

Focuses on Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies

Teachers learn how to pose purposeful questions and

facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. These strategies show promise for improving teachers' instructional practices.

Allows Teachers to Practice

Teachers try out an instructional strategy, stop, reflect, and try again with the student avatars before implementing the strategy with their students.

Promotes Collaboration

Teachers practice teaching strategies in groups, supporting and providing feedback to each other.

Builds Capacity

District and school coaches learn to facilitate SIM PD and support teachers in improving their instruction.

Provides Data

AIR will provide customized
presentations of findings for schools and districts that participate

It's Free!

SIM PD is being offered to schools at no cost. Teachers and coaches will be compensated for their time.

Does it work?

Prior research shows that SIM PD has positive impacts on teachers and students!

Improves teacher instruction

Teachers had significantly higher scores on their ability to ask students to explain/justify, ask questions, lead discourse, and translate representations

Improves student actions

Students had significantly higher scores on their ability to grapple, depth of explanation, ability to talk, and ability to translate

Is feasible to implement

Teachers were able to complete the PD and teachers said that the program was useful

Testimonials

“I have found the PD sessions to continually push me to reflect on my questioning practice and the support and feedback from the coach while working with the avatars has provided great opportunities for reflecting on and analyzing my teaching moves.”
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