Putting it Together: Middle School Math in Transition

Meeting the challenge to transform one's math teaching is a daunting prospect. Most teachers are aware of the need for change and know which individual aspects of their programs they would like to reform-if only they could make the needed changes in some easy, safe way. However, by its very nature, the transformation of a learning program is neither simple nor without risk.

In Putting It Together, Gary Tsuruda discusses how his personal belief system about learning underwent a significant transition and describes in detail how he put the results of this transition to use in a middle school mathematics classroom, where real mathematical thinking became the driving force.

The author describes the "bits of evidence" which over the years made it apparent to him that traditional methods were not working. The book includes sections on the use of essays, journals, and other forms of writing in the math classroom, as well as assessment alternatives such as portfolios. In the "Problem Solving" chapter the author writes about his use of "Problems of the Week" and "Problems of the Day" in the classroom, which encourage students to solve nonroutine problems on a regular basis and have fun doing so.

Putting It Together is for every middle school teacher looking for help and guidance in meeting the objectives of the NCTM Standards.

Gary Tsuruda teaches seventh-and eighth-grade mathematics at Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto, California, was a member of the 1992 California State Mathematics Framework committee, and served as school coordinator for the Bay Area Math Project in 1993. He earned his B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Southern California in 1969 and his M.A. in Math Education from the University of San Francisco in 1977. From 1973 to 1983 he was an instructor in mathematics education at the college of Notre Dame in Belmont, California; he was also a K-8 curriculum consultant in math and science from 1980 to 1985. He received the Teacher of the Year Award from the San Mateo City School district in 1988 and was a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching in 1989.