1

Dear Parents,

My name is Ashley Jones and I will be your childs Math
teacher for their grade 7 year. I would like to start off
by welcoming you and your child to the school! The
transition into Junior High is both a challenging and an
exciting time for students! As you and your child are
settling in to the schools environment, I would like to
take the time to give you some background on me
and my experiences and inform you of my
expectations for your child in this course. I will also
share my teaching beliefs and perspectives, as well as
educational strategies that I intend to use throughout
the year. In sharing these strategies with you, I hope
that together, we can help your child have a very
successful school year!



2
Math 7
Miss Ashley Jones
September 1, 2014
Welcome to Math 7! Inside

Who am I?

My Teaching
Perspectives and Beliefs

Creating an Emotionally
Supportive Classroom

Classroom Organization

Instructional Supports

Student Engagement
4
5
6
7
3



Who am I?
1
My Experience
I have a Bachelor of Education degree in
Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Science
degree in Mathematical Sciences, both from the
University of Alberta. During my Education degree, I
was required to complete two student teaching
practicums. I completed one practicum at John D.
Bracco Junior High School in Edmonton and one
practicum at the International School of Macau in
the Peoples Republic of China. Prior to taking my
Education degree, I worked for a year, as an
accountant. Through my diverse experiences, I
have come to value the importance of
mathematics and I would like to share this with my
students so that they can make a connection
between classroom concepts and real-world skills.

About Me
Aside from teaching, a long-time passion of mine is
dance. I love the artistic nature of it and the way it
enables the expression of oneself. I am also very
passionate about travelling. I look forward to
sharing my experiences with my students and
learning more about each one of their interests as
well!
2
How you can
help!
Disengagement in math at
the junior high level is a
common occurrence and
many students develop
negative attitudes towards
math that persist throughout
their adult life
1
. My goal is to
engage your child in learning
math, ensure that he or she is
aware of the expectations in
the class and above all else,
ensure that he or she learns.

Your role as a parent is crucial
in helping your child succeed.
I hope that you will assist me in
helping your child view math
in a positive light so that
together, we may support his
or her learning. If you have
any questions or concerns
about this, I would be happy
to discuss this more with you.

3

Typically, math is taught in a very traditional approach in
which the teacher is the holder and transmitter of
knowledge and the student is the receiver of information.
It is, however, recommended that students learn best in a
more student-centered environment.

When students are engaged in substantive conversation,
when they are challenged to higher order thinking and
when they can connect what they learn to the world
beyond the classroom, they are much more likely to
succeed in math
1
. Students have also indicated that a
good math teacher is passionate about and enjoys
math, explains things well, gives you hints but doesnt
give you the answers and gives different tasks to
different kids (differentiates instruction)
1
.

I have a constructivist view in teaching mathematics and
believe that new knowledge must build on prior
knowledge and experience. Using this view, I plan to
differentiate my class by readiness, as studies have
shown that if students are not completing classroom
work, it is often because the material is not at a level in
which the student can construct knowledge
2
.

In using this knowledge, I plan to challenge students
within their limits and help them to become independent
learners. In saying this, I do not believe that there is only
one way to learn math so I will be using a variety of
approaches to teach the concepts. Many classes will be
student-centered and will involve inquiry-based learning,
while other classes will involve direct modeling and
teaching of concepts. We will be using a variety of
learning formats, including the use of text, visuals,
manipulatives, technology and multimedia. I can assure
you that I am very passionate about math and I hope to
engage your child by creating fun, yet educational
opportunities and experiences!

My Teaching
Perspectives and Beliefs

My thoughts on classroom practices:
What is a Student-Centered
Classroom?
-There is a focus on students
individual interests, abilities and
learning styles.
-Students are active participants in
acquiring knowledge.

What is Differentiated Instruction?
-Instruction that is responsive to
students different readiness levels,
interests and ways of processing
knowledge.

What is Constructivism?
-An emphasis on learning through
real-life experiences to construct
knowledge in context.
-New knowledge builds upon prior
knowledge and experiences.

What is Inquiry-Based Learning?
-Learning that is based on the
investigation of questions, scenarios
or problems.
-Students develop their own
knowledge through exploration,
with assistance from the teacher.

For additional information, please
see the following sources:
1
Attard, C. (2011). My favourite subject
is maths. For some reason no-one really
agrees with me: Student perspectives of
mathematics teaching and learning in
the upper primary classroom. Math Ed R.I
(23). 363-377.
2
Killoran, I. (2003). Why is your homework
not done? How theories of development
affect your approach in the classroom.
Journal of Instructional Psychology. 30(4).
309-315.

4

2
It has been found that students who receive more
emotional support in the classroom also feel a greater
sense of belonging, greater academic enjoyment and
greater self-efficacy
3
.

In order to help your child feel welcome and appreciated
in my classroom, I will maintain a positive classroom
climate. I have set aside some time to learn about
students interests, hobbies and goals and I want to build
relationships in order to guide, comfort and reassure their
learning. I also want to ensure that students are motivated
to learn. In using student interests, hobbies and goals, I can
ensure to build lessons with activities that students find fun
and I can relate lessons to certain career goals and real
world applications.

To do this, I will also be sensitive to the needs of students
and their perspectives. I will offer choices, allowing
students to learn in ways that are best for them. I will teach
content in different ways, using different materials and I will
allow student choices in assessments so that they are all
able to show me what they have learned. Students will
also frequently have the opportunity to choose to work
individually or in groups. I will be developing many inquiry-
based lessons, giving students attainable challenges and
engaging students in hands-on learning, all while being
available to help students more directly when required. In
responding to the many interests of students in the class,
my goal is that every child will enjoy math and find it useful!

A classroom is a very social environment and in such, I plan
to capitalize on the social aspects. As I have mentioned, I
want students to be active participants in their learning
and have many opportunities to have hands-on learning
experiences, as well as discussions about math.
Throughout these activities and discussions, students will be
expected to participate in social conversation, listen to
their classmates, encourage the ideas and opinions of
others, and show respect for all!

An Emotionally
Supportive Classroom

A positive climate, being sensitive to student needs and
appreciating student perspectives:
What is self-efficacy?
-Ones belief in their own ability to
complete tasks and goals.

What is a Positive Classroom
Climate?
-All students are welcome.
-The classroom arrangement is safe
and supportive of learning.
-Students are accepting of
differences.
-Respectfulness is demonstrated.

Being Sensitive to student needs
-Responding to individual needs.
-Creating an environment where
students feel safe and free to explore
and learn.
-The teacher is a resource, not a task
master.

Appreciating Student
Perspectives
-Capitalizing on students interests
and motivations.
-Providing attainable challenges.
-Supporting student autonomy.

For additional information, please see
the following sources:
3
Sakiz, G., Pape, S. J., & Hoy, A. W. (2012).
Does perceived teacher affective support
matter for middle school students in
mathematics classrooms? Journal of
School Psychology. (50). 235-255.

4
Schonert-Reichl, K.A. & Hymel, S. (2007).
Educating the heart as well as the mind:
Social and emotional learning for school
and life success. Education Canada.
47(2). 20-25.

5
Classroom Organization

Behaviour management, a productive classroom and
providing a variety of learning formats:
In my experiences thus far as a teacher, I have learned
that organization is key to having a well-managed
classroom. Students respond positively to consistency.
Also, in being organized and in establishing routines and
procedures, misbehaviour can be prevented!
5


This week, I will be explaining expected classroom
procedures to the students. We will also develop a set of
classroom rules. The students will learn what to do in class,
how to do it and when to do it. We will spend the next few
weeks practicing and tweaking these procedures so that
students understand what is expected of them. There will
be motivating rewards for students who exhibit
exceptional behaviour! The purpose of these procedures is
to ensure that your child has a safe and predictable
classroom environment that is conducive to learning. In
having routines and clear expectations, and in
emphasizing positive behaviour, behavioural issues can be
minimized and we can focus on productive learning.

In establishing a classroom routine, students will always
know what to expect when entering my classroom. We
only have 50 minutes each day so I want the class time to
be as productive as possible in order to avoid assigning
students excessive homework. My goal is to ensure that
students always have sufficient class time to complete their
work in class so that if they have any questions or
misunderstandings, I will be available for support and
guidance.

Lastly, in creating a classroom in which students are active
participants in their own learning, I will be assisting students
in learning to become self-directed learners
6
by utilizing
various instructional learning formats. The students will be
receiving a Table of Contents for each unit, which will
assist them in their organizational process. They will then
have many opportunities to participate in inquiry-based
learning, allowing them choices and opportunities to
experience learning in a variety of ways, to explore new
concepts and to utilize a variety of instructional materials.

Behaviour Management
-Having clear behavioural
expectations and being able to
redirect misbehaviour.

A Productive Classroom
-Maximizing learning time by being
prepared and by establishing
classroom routines.

What is a self-directed learner?
-A student who controls their
thoughts and actions in order to
achieve personal goals.
-A student with self-awareness,
motivation for learning and
knowledge of strategies that lead
to his or her success.

Instructional Learning Formats
-Maximizing student engagement
with interesting activities,
instruction and materials.
-Opportunities to experience,
perceive, explore and utilize
materials.

For additional information, please
see the following sources:
5
Wong, H., Wong, R., Rogers, K., &
Brooks, A. (2012). Managing your
classroom for success: Organization in
the first week is the foundation for a
successful school year. Science and
Children. (9). 60.

6
Perry, N. and Winne, P. (2013).
Keys to promoting self-regulated
learning. BC Teachers Federation.
25(5).

6
Instructional Supports

Developing content understanding, using instructional
dialogue, providing quality feedback and supporting
analysis and inquiry:
What are instructional supports?
-Strategies, tools and resources to
support student learning.

Content Understanding
-Background knowledge is
considered so that students can
connect new knowledge to
existing knowledge and real-world
applications.

What is Instructional Dialogue?
-Conversations that allow students
to contribute to the acquisition of
knowledge through higher-order
thinking.
-Students initiate conversations,
are active listeners and respond to
other students comments.

What is Quality Feedback?
-Feedback that expands students
responses and encourages
continued learning.

What is scaffolding?
-A process that enables students to
solve problems that are slightly
beyond their unassisted efforts.
-The teacher models a new skill,
provides opportunities for guided
application of the skill and then
fades the support as the student
begins to master the skill
independently.

Analysis and Inquiry
-Providing opportunities for
application based on students
interests and goals.

For additional information, please
see the following source:
7
Zahner, W., Velazquez, G.,
Moschkovich, J., Vahey, P. & Lara-
Meloy, T. (2012). Mathematics teaching
practices with technology that support
conceptual understanding for Latino/a
students. The Journal of Mathematical
Behavior. 31(4). 431-446.
Mathematics is a subject in which concepts and
information are inherently interconnected. Students must
have prior knowledge and understanding of many
concepts in order to learn new material. In order to ensure
that all students are capable of learning, I will be providing
a variety of instructional supports.

One of the strategies that I will focus on is content
understanding. In introducing new concepts, I will always
draw on students prior knowledge first. I will determine
and address any misconceptions and I will attempt to
connect new knowledge to existing knowledge, as well as
to real world skills and applications.

I will do this by frequently using instructional dialogue.
Studies have shown that students learn best when they
have time to talk and reason through problems. It is said
that successful teachers build on student contributions to
introduce new concepts and terminology
7
. I will ensure to
provide many opportunities for students to participate in
conversations about the course content, as I believe that
peers can also be valuable support and can offer
alternative explanations to content.

In facilitating classroom dialogue, I will also provide
essential feedback to students. Throughout student
dialogue, I will enhance new understanding by asking
open-ended questions, by encouraging students to
expand on responses and by clarifying concepts when
necessary. I will also make use of scaffolding, an important
instructional strategy that will enable me to guide all
students in building upon their existing knowledge in order
to learn new skills and concepts.

Finally, I will be supportive of student analysis and inquiry.
As students have differing interests, goals and prior
knowledge and experiences, I will assign several open-
ended tasks. These tasks will involve the application of
mathematical skills learned in class, while allowing students
to build upon their knowledge in a way that interests them.

7
Student Engagement

Supporting active student engagement and dealing
with disengagement:

What is active learning?
-Students take responsibility in their
learning.
-Students are engaged in solving
problems through reading, writing,
discussions and activities.
-Students engage in higher-order
thinking.
-Students think about why they are
doing what they are doing.
-Students observe and participate
in experiences in authentic
settings.
-Students engage in reflective
dialogue regarding their
experiences.


What is project-based
learning?
-Learning by doing.
-Learning educational concepts in
real-world contexts.



For additional information, please
see the following sources:
8
Project-based learning. (2013).
Edutopia.
http://www.edutopia.org/project-
based-
learning?gclid=CMug7cag6boCFQbN
OgodChgAGQ

9
Math, PBL and 21
st
century learning for
all students. (2013). Edutopia.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/math-
PBL-21st-century-learning-jason-ravitz
Going back to the Attard article, referred to on page 3,
disengagement in mathematics is very common at the
junior high level. Student engagement in school is
essential, as when students are engaged, they are much
more likely to succeed in learning.

In order to deal with disengagement, I will work hard to try
to prevent it. In order to be proactive, I will take the time to
build relationships with students in order to teach with
respect to various interests, hobbies and goals. I will also try
to offer choices as much as possible so that all students feel
like they are in control of their own learning.

Another approach that I will take in order to be proactive
in facilitating student engagement is providing
opportunities for active learning. Rather than having
students constantly sitting at their desks, writing notes or
working on worksheets, they will periodically be given tasks
in which they must actively participate in either discussions
or hands-on projects. One of the approaches that I will use
to do this is project-based learning. This type of learning
allows students to apply what they learn and see how it
can be useful outside of the classroom setting. This has
been shown to increase understanding, application and
retention of information
8
.

Are you interested in helping out?
I will be bringing in various guest speakers throughout the
year to provide the class with examples of how adults use
certain math concepts in their daily lives at work. I am
hoping to bring in these speakers while students are learning
relevant topics that relate to the speakers profession. The
key strands in grade 7 math include Number Sense, Patterns
and Relations, Shape and Space (Measurement, 3D objects,
2D shapes and Transformations) and Statistics and Probability
(Data Analysis and Chance and Uncertainty). If your job
involves any of these concepts and you are willing to speak
to our class about how you use math in your daily life, please
contact me at the school for further information!




1


1

I can be
contacted at:
Email Address
School Phone Number
School Address
Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to read this
lengthy letter! I hope that I have given
you insight as to what you and your child
should expect in my classroom this year.

If you would like to read further on any
of the supporting materials presented,
please click on the links provided or feel
free to contact me at the school and I
will be happy to provide you with the
resources.

Please also feel free to contact me at
any time should you have any questions
or concerns, or should you want to talk
about your childs progress.

Sincerely,

Ashley Jones
Thank you!