Did you know that mathematics is more than just numbers and shapes? Did you know that “Algebra” is Arabic and in part means balance? Neither did some of the teachers who attended the Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted (WAETAG) Conference about Innovation and Equity October 12-13, 2018 in Bellevue, Washington.

Our very own Miss Davenport, Athletic Director and Health/PE Teacher, shared her expertise and experiences as a former Math teacher, with teachers in Washington. Her session included information about the meaning of math, how to incorporate other subject areas into math, math processing skills, and math study skills in her one hour session. Miss Davenport shares, “Storytelling is a great way to learn how students feel about math. I’ve incorporated writing short stories in math as a way to get the interest and strength of my writers all the while tapping into some other critical thinking skills within my students. That’s just one of many ways to look at math differently.”

Miss Davenport also shared her favorite math acronym for problem solving–given to her by her own mentor. The acronym, SOLVE, stands for Study the Problem, Organize the Facts, Line Up Your Plan, Verify the Plan (solve the problem), and Examine the Answer (see if it makes sense). “Utilizing this strategy,” Davenport shares, “is a great way to break down problems, especially word problems, into smaller more manageable pieces. It helps us to organize our thoughts in math so that we are able to more consistently solve problems correctly.” After shares tips such as these, the teachers in the room continued the session in a workshop by working in their teaching teams to create lesson plans for the following week while Miss Davenport made herself available for feedback and questions.

If you have more questions about math or would like to know more about the different topics Miss Davenport presents on at various conferences, feel free to email her at ldavenport@cristoreydelasalle.org.