Growing with the IM Community Hub

By Portia Gibbs Roseboro, Britnee Wright, Justin Brennan

The IM Community Hub, affectionately known as “The Hub,” was created to support educators using the IM Curriculum in navigating what teaching looks like now. Educators register for free to access resources from IM as well as the hub’s message boards. The hub is designed to be a “safe place” to share instructional strategies, share resources, and have robust discussions about the curriculum with educators across the nation. It is our vision that teachers will feel free to ask questions and discuss classroom practice without judgment. 

We currently have more than 12,000 members and are growing. As we traverse this new platform and new normal, we asked a few members to share a brief note about their experiences while using the hub and to share how it has impacted them thus far. Take a moment to read about their experiences and consider sharing yours with us.


Britnee Wright
Math Specialist
Southeast Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative 

The IM Hub has become one of the most valuable resources this year—not only to myself, as a specialist, but also to classroom teachers. I love that you can find everything needed in one location, since time is more of an issue than ever for educators as we find ourselves in uncharted territory. 

I have found the distance learning resources for the 6–8 and 9–12 curricula have been a lifesaver as we transition to teaching on Zoom. Some of the most valuable resources include the adaptation guides that help identify prior concepts and skills that students need to access the content in each unit, and the cool-down supports that help support decisions about what to do when students struggle with the cool-down at the end of the lesson. The other aspects of the hub that I find supportive are the interactive communities and community resources

The ability to access resources other teachers have created makes teaching a little easier. Teachers are able to modify and adapt lessons on the hub without having to create new material. I place all the resources I am building for the community in the hub, too. The IM Hub has been a game changer for the post-COVID teaching world.

Justin Brennan
Math Instructor
St. Charles North High School 

I serve as my district’s secondary mathematics teacher on special assignment. I was introduced to the IM Community Hub by our great IM training team on the first day of professional learning in the summer prior to our implementation of IM Algebra 1. 

As I explored the hub, I saw just how many teachers needed materials to support distance learning. My district was in a similar situation. It appeared we would be starting the school year remotely, so I had planned to create Desmos activities that would support teachers in using the 5 Practices (for orchestrating productive discussion) and also deliver content equitably. 

I shared my collection of Unit 1 resources in the hub and it was immediately well received. In fact, it was so well received that people everywhere were not only interested if there was a Unit 2 available, but also asking to step in and create other activities in support.  

Eventually my explorations of the hub revealed a wonderful resource shared by Christina Kramer with all things IM Algebra 1. Specifically of interest to me was the phenomenal Desmos work by Jim Dougherty to support all the lessons. Those resources gave me a great foundation to continue to tweak and supplement activities to provide interpretive feedback and remote-friendly instruction in Desmos, especially through the lens of the section-level planning documents.  

As a result, the community has now crowdsourced some exceptional learning resources to support remote IM Algebra 1 instruction. So in the end, leaning on the IM Community Hub has not only made my instructional experience better, but has undoubtedly increased student learning and engagement.  


As you can see these are two dynamic educators who have used the hub not only for their own growth but also to support their teachers. We understand that the expectations that have been placed on teachers can feel overwhelming and we want the hub to continue to be a place where you can feel free to ask questions, share resources, and support each other. We look forward to your active participation in the IM Community Hub. Let’s continue to create “a world where all learners know, use, and enjoy mathematics.” (Illustrative Mathematics’ vision).

Next Steps

Visit the hub at hub.illustrativemathematics.org. Register for a free account to access the communities and resources from both IM authors and teachers around the country.