Imagine that it’s a Sunday evening. A third-grade teacher is preparing for the next school day and staring at Monday’s math lesson plan. “Do I understand the content enough?” is a question that passes through the teacher’s mind.
The teacher isn’t alone in this uncertainty. In fact, according to research from the National Council on Teacher Quality, many teachers report not feeling fully prepared to teach math effectively. Many educators also begin new programs with limited training. These challenges may contribute to declines in student success in math nationwide.
Dr. Karen Fuson has always understood that teaching math well requires more than content knowledge. It takes confidence, clarity, and a structure that supports growth—for teachers as well as for students.
“Teacher learning is crucially important. But there’s never enough pre-service time. You can’t introduce something in two days and expect teachers to be off and running,” Fuson says.
Her curriculum, Math Expressions, was designed with this in mind. It offers more than lessons—it provides an ongoing professional learning experience that unfolds in real time. “You have to have a ‘learn-while-teaching’ math program. That’s what I built in Math Expressions,” she says.
What Is the Learn-While-Teaching Method?
While using Math Expressions, teachers receive ongoing, built-in support through detailed unit overviews, point-of-use teaching notes, and examples of student thinking. “There are extensive unit overviews . . . and ‘Math Talk in Action’ that have examples of student thinking and student explanations,” Fuson says. These supports are built into every lesson, helping educators deepen their understanding while they teach.
Math Expressions also addresses student misconceptions through embedded tools like Puzzled Penguin, a character who makes common mistakes and encourages Math Talk. “Puzzled Penguin . . . makes mistakes that kids make. And students can discuss them and help Puzzled Penguin overcome that error,” Fuson says.
Here’s how the Puzzled Penguin feature works in practice: Let’s say students are practicing identifying pairs that sum to a particular number through playing a card game. The teacher can tell students that “Puzzled Penguin found partners of 3 on the card” when there are actually partners of 4. By eliciting student responses, the teacher can gauge student understanding and correct students who are wrong in the moment.
The program also includes point-of-use professional learning featuring Fuson’s voice, which teachers can access during instruction.
One teacher described the experience as having Fuson in the room as they teach. “When I read the lessons, sometimes I feel that I have Karen Fuson sitting on my shoulder talking into my ear, telling me what to do,” Fuson says a teacher told her.
According to Fuson, a pilot group in Chicago gave this experience a name: math therapy for teachers. “Now we understand math. We believe we understand math,” Fuson recalls teachers saying.
A learn-while-teaching approach combines several key elements:
- Is job-embedded, or occurs during the workday
- Is curriculum-based, or connected to the materials teachers use
- Provides immediate application, or teachers can quickly and efficiently apply their learning
- Is ongoing, or is continuous support readily available to teachers, rather than one-off workshops or classes
- Connects learning to practice, or provides ideas for practice opportunities
The result? Teachers move from uncertainty to confidence, with this growth happening during teaching rather than through extra professional learning outside the classroom.
Building Confidence That Lasts
Research shows that teachers who receive adequate preparation are more likely to remain in the profession, which is critical when teacher attrition rates run two to three times higher for teachers who enter the profession without full preparation. When professional learning is woven into daily teaching, teachers gain confidence without adding hours to their already-full schedules.
Let’s imagine that same third-grade teacher from the opening scenario. This time, instead of feeling underprepared, the teacher uses a program like Math Expressions, with built-in support accessible at any time. Sunday evenings might feel a little different when teachers know they have professional learning embedded in every lesson, which they can access whenever they need guidance.
Fuson’s work reflects a belief that teachers deserve the same kind of support they strive to give their students. Confident teachers naturally foster confidence and mathematical thinking in students.
When educators feel equipped and empowered to implement new approaches with confidence and fidelity, they don’t just deliver instruction—they experience their own ‘I got it!’ moments.
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Discover how Fuson’s Math Expressions helps educators grow alongside their students with embedded professional learning, point-of-use teaching notes, and tools like Puzzled Penguin. Get the overview brochure for more on what’s included—from resources and research in action to tools and technology that support innovative instruction.
Explore Math Expressions with instant access to the program overview.
