When I first started teaching a decade ago, I would do anything to maintain control in my classroom. Rarely were students allowed to speak without raising their hand. All of the desks in my room faced forward, and I controlled all communication. Collaboration back then looked like the occasional “turn and talk” between desk partners, and sometimes we would have problem-solving partner days where students solved word problems together.

After a decade in the classroom, this year I took a role in my district as an elementary and middle school math instructional coach. Part of my job is going into a...

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    • About the Author:

    Raymond Steinmetz is an instructional coach and TeachPlus Policy Fellow in Rhode Island. He writes and podcasts about education, technology, and parenting. His work can be found at BlendedLearningMath. Follow him on Twitter @blended_math.