How do you balance the demands of accountability and innovation in math education leadership and management?

It is also very important for math educators not to discount the importance of generating authentic enthusiasum for what they are teaching. I tell teachers, all the time, "If you are not enthusiastic about what you are teaching, you cannot expect your students to be." Teachers are the emotional leaders in the classroom. If they show up with their crabby pants on, it is highly likely that the students will not be into the lesson.

Generate LOVE for math. Develop mathematical minds who can question the existing knowledge and be able to conceptualize equations and problems. Math is the answer to bigger questions, including cosmic theories and existence. Kids need to internalize this. As a leader in math education, you also need to have a deep and profound understanding and knowledge of pure mathematics.

Furthermore, the vision and its execution should be broken down into achievable benchmarks for educators to have distinct time frames and expectations. Often great PD falls by the wayside because of lack of support and follow-up.

To balance accountability and innovation in math education leadership, define desired outcomes, build relationships, empower teachers, embrace diversity, encourage innovation, balance autonomy, and continually evaluate progress. Foster open communication and ensure equal access to quality math education, creating a thriving environment for responsible innovation.

In my experience, relationship building plays a key role in delivery mechanism of the instructions used in the school or an organisation.

If you look at math through the lens of the average student, it is often tied to negative emotions or a mental “injury”. They way to overcome injury is to slowly and methodically strengthen the areas surrounding it. For math, that means lesson design should plan to touch on the base skills first to build confidence and then connect the new topic to that successful skill.

I think embracing failure is a key. Teachers need to accept failures as much as their students do. The more an educator is able to accept failure, reflect upon it, and make changes will result in amazing growth for the educator and their students.

Innovation doesn't happen without someone trying something new and seeing the result. Math leaders need to voice their administration that teachers need to be given some autonomy in implementation in order for this innovation to occur. Creativity does not flourish without some freedom.