Key points:
After 20 years teaching high school math, I thought I understood why students struggled. Then I sat in my first professional learning session focused on early math and was humbled.
Like many secondary educators, I used to describe students as “lacking number sense.” But that experience broke the idea down into something much more precise and much more actionable. I began to see that many of the challenges students face in algebra actually stem from gaps in foundational understanding that begin years earlier.
Across the 20 districts we serve at Pennsylvania’s Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19 (NEIU19), one challenge comes up again and again: Elementary teachers often don’t feel as confident teaching math as they would like, through no fault of their own.
This isn’t a reflection of educators’ intelligence or dedication. It reflects how little time most elementary teacher preparation programs spend developing deep conceptual understanding of math. Many were taught how to follow procedures, not how to unpack the “why” behind them.
As a result, math instruction often defaults to what feels safest–procedures, algorithms, and memorization often become the norm because they are more familiar. While those approaches can produce correct answers, they don’t build lasting understanding and students often hit a wall as concepts become more complex.
The importance of understanding the “why” behind math
When students don’t understand why math works, teachers are often left reteaching entire concepts without knowing exactly where the breakdown occurred.
In reality, many challenges come down to small, specific gaps in understanding. When teachers have a clear framework for how mathematical thinking develops, they can identify those gaps and address them with targeted support–often through small instructional shifts rather than large-scale reteaching.
That level of clarity allows teachers to respond in real time, ask better questions, and guide students toward deeper understanding instead of repeating procedures.
How professional learning transforms teacher confidence
At NEIU19, we’ve implemented OGAP (Ongoing Assessment Project) as part of our broader professional learning solution to address this challenge.
What makes this approach different is that it’s not a one-and-done training. Teachers engage in multi-day sessions, return to their classrooms to apply what they’ve learned, and then come back with student work to refine their practice.
Just as importantly, the learning translates immediately. Teachers aren’t leaving with theory; they’re leaving with strategies they can implement the very next day. In fact, across participating educators, this approach has earned a 9.7 Net Promoter Score, signaling strong confidence in both the experience and its classroom impact.
As participation continues to grow across NEIU, here are four key lessons we’ve unlocked:
1. Content knowledge is the foundation of confidence.
Teacher confidence in math starts with a deep understanding of the content itself. When teachers strengthen their conceptual understanding, they begin to see how ideas connect, where students commonly struggle, and how to respond effectively.
This shift changes instruction. Teachers move beyond demonstrating steps to facilitating meaningful mathematical thinking and are better equipped to interpret student thinking and adjust instruction in the moment.
For district leaders, this means prioritizing professional learning that builds content knowledge–not just instructional techniques.
This shift is often deeply personal for educators. As one teacher put it, “I loved building my background knowledge which in turn builds my confidence… I do not fear math!”
2. Professional learning must translate directly to classroom practice.
One of the biggest frustrations teachers have with professional development is that it doesn’t stick once they return to the classroom.
To build confidence, learning must be immediately applicable. Through this professional learning model that is curriculum-agnostic, teachers analyze real student work, engage in hands-on activities, and practice strategies that fit within their daily instruction.
Instead of overwhelming educators with new initiatives, this approach provides small, actionable ways to adjust instruction–whether through a short formative task, a targeted small-group activity, or a quick check for understanding. Teachers can implement these strategies right away, see how students respond, and refine their approach over time. That immediate feedback loop is what builds both skill and confidence. As one educator shared, “Every time I have left a session, I’ve had new things to share immediately with my kids and my coworkers.”
3. Peer collaboration accelerates growth.
Teaching math in isolation can reinforce uncertainty. When teachers come together to analyze student thinking and share strategies, they build both skill and confidence.
Our cohort-based model brings educators together across schools and districts, creating a shared language for instruction and a support system that extends beyond training sessions. These conversations often carry into classrooms, where teachers collaborate more intentionally across grade levels and think differently about how concepts build over time.
This collaboration not only improves individual practice–it drives consistency across classrooms and supports more aligned instruction.
4. Consistency is essential for lasting impact.
Sustained improvement doesn’t come from a single workshop. It requires ongoing learning, application, and refinement.
Our professional learning solution connects training directly to classroom practice through a structured, multi-session approach. Teachers build understanding, apply it with students, and return with evidence to deepen their learning.
This cycle reinforces growth over time. Teachers build confidence through repeated practice, reflection, and support–not through a single training event.
Shifting teacher mindset–and student experience
As teacher confidence grows, something else begins to shift: how math feels in the classroom.
Instead of viewing math as a set of steps to get through, teachers begin to approach it as a process of understanding. They become more comfortable facilitating discussion, listening to student thinking, and adapting instruction based on what they observe.
In many classrooms, this shift leads to more student talk, more collaboration, and greater engagement. Students are no longer just trying to get the right answer–they’re making sense of the math behind it–and they like it!
Building a system that supports teachers–and students
Improving math instruction at scale isn’t about implementing one curriculum program. It’s about creating a system where teachers feel confident in their content knowledge, supported in their practice, and connected to a professional community.
When that happens, teachers move from delivering math procedures to leading meaningful mathematical learning, and when teacher confidence grows, student confidence follows.
