IM Certified® Blog
Choosing Math Tools and Representations that Work:
“100 chart-less in Grade 2”
By Maureen D. O’Connell, Math Specialist Some math tools and representations help students solve in-the-moment problems. Other math tools and representations help students solve problems and grow their conceptual understanding. Which type of representations are you...
Multi-grade Classrooms and
IM K–5 Math™
By Jen Hawkins, IM Facilitator and IM K-5 Product Specialist Illustrative Mathematics believes that students can achieve success as mathematical thinkers by working through problems and consolidating their learning through classroom discussions and anchoring...
Introducing the IM Implementation Reflection Tool
by Liz Ramirez, Director of Implementation “This makes the expectations for what I need to change visible.” “It’s not about the tool. It’s about the conversation using the tool.” Quotes from leaders who participated in IM’s collaborative research partnership this past...
Getting Ready for 2021–22: Back to School Blog Posts
By the IM Team Educators still face a great deal of uncertainty heading into the 2021–22 school year. Maybe you’ve already started planning for it. Maybe you’ve avoided planning for it. Maybe your school year has already started! No matter where you are in thinking...
A Love for Math Reignited
By Michael Ramirez, Director of Instructional Coaching, Partnership for Los Angeles Schools “Whenever students are being helped to see major concepts, big ideas, and general principles and are not merely engaged in the pursuit of isolated facts, good teaching is going...
IM K–5 Math: An End and a Beginning
By William McCallum On March 20, 2015, I received the following email: Thank you for submitting your proposals to the K–12 OER Collaborative. We are pleased to advise you that Illustrative Mathematics has been selected as a vendor to create a rapid prototype unit for...
Culturally Responsive Teaching and Math
By Asya Howlette, Director of Mathematics and Science at Thurgood Marshall Raise your hand if you have been perplexed by professional learning that told you your class needs to be culturally responsive, but left you completely unsure about what that means in a math...
Differentiating Instruction with
IM 6–12 Math™
By Max Ray-Riek, Director of 6–12 Professional Learning In my role at IM, working with teachers and administrators, I am asked to help with the challenges of implementing an IM curriculum. We are often asked, “How can I differentiate instruction while using this...
What does it mean to enjoy mathematics?
By William McCallum When I started this series of blog posts on what it means to know, use, and enjoy mathematics, I thought this one would be the easiest. Math is fun, right? How could you not enjoy mathematics? I certainly do—I love the complexity in underlying...
The Joy of Fluency
By William McCallum I’m not a very good skier, but I have once or twice in my life experienced the joy of a perfect run: gliding down the slopes, taking each turn with confidence. And I’ve had terrible runs where I struggled up a slope to find a detached ski, getting...
