There’s more than one way to arrive at an answer in a math problem. Amy Dowd is helping students at Walton Charter Academy arrive at the correct destination while explaining the method.
Instead of teaching students to subtract by rigidly borrowing from the tens and giving the tens to the ones in a standard algorithm, they are taught several different ways and subsequently solve problems in a manner that makes sense to them. One such way is transformation, in which they borrow from numbers in the problem to make round numbers.
The answer remains the same but is found in an alternative from the traditional way that might have caused them angst.
“When they are taught that way, they absolutely hate it because it’s so hard and so confusing and it doesn't make any sense,” she said. “You’re teaching them why behind that standard algorithm, teaching them all the steps to get there and different ways to do it to help them get to that standard algorithm so it makes more sense.”
Dowd, an at-risk teacher, was named an Excellence in Teaching winner this year as part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) Excellence Awards. She credited the award to her work with teachers during the entire math block, which allowed her to be in the classroom during core teaching and small group intervention time.
Implementing “new math” methods not only applied to students, but also teachers.
“I think I was particularly proud that I was able to not only work with the small kids that needed it, but I was able to work with the teachers also,” she said. “I think for a lot of teachers, they only learn the one way to do math. So for them to dive into the curriculum and they have to learn how to do it too before they can teach the kids, I was proud that I was able to work with a lot of the teachers to get them to understand why behind it.
“There is a reason we're teaching it the way we're teaching it. I had a lot of success with some of the teachers who were like, ‘That makes sense. I understand that.’ Then I saw the growth in the students because of the way they were teaching it.”
Being an at-risk teacher, Dowd helps students fill gaps to reach proficiency. Small-group work gives students the specialized instruction they need.
“It's hard to find people who really understand the way we teach math now,” she said. “I think being able to pull those small groups and give kids that little bit of extra help to make sure that they’re understanding the math is a big part of it.”
The kids are what keep Dowd, now in her 10th year at Walton, coming back. The hugs she received after winning the Excellence Award are a testament to the relationships she has forged and the impact she and the team at Walton make.
“The fact that they can come talk to me and I can make them feel better,” she said. “That's a big part of it but the other part is my co-workers that keep me coming back. I absolutely love the people that I work with. I love my team.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mrs. Dowd!
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About Walton Charter Academy
Walton Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Pontiac, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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