Session: 622
Date: Friday, April 6, 2001
Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Place: Salon 19 (Rosen Centre Hotel)
Grades: 4-8
Description:
Coaching a math team is a win-win
situation. Your students become much
sharper, you become much more knowledgeable,
and everyone becomes excited
by math. Five veteran coaches share
what they've learned over the years.
Speakers:
Richard Kalman
Math Olympiads
Bellmore, New York
Marshalyn E. Baker
Williams JHS
Oakland, Maine
Jim Matthews
Siena College
Loudenville, New York
Ceil Hogan
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Hamden, Connecticut
Joseph Quigley
Quigley Scientific Corporation
Lexington, Massachusetts
mailto:moes@i-2000.com
Richard am Executive Director of the
Math Olympiads. He has spoken at many NCTM conferences. He is an Associate
Editor of the NYS Math Teachers' Journal, specializing in problem solving.
Marshalyn Baker, Panelist; Williams
Jr. High
55 Pleasant St.;Oakland, Maine 04963
mailto:marsbake@mint.net
Marshalyn has coached for 10 years
from grades 5-7. She is active in ATM Maine and ATM New England, and was
president of ATM Maine. She speaks often at conferences.
Ceil Hogan, Panelist; Hamden Hall Country
Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue; Hamden CT 06517
mailto:chogan@hamdenhall.org
Hamden Hall Country Day School encourages
its teachers to speak. Ceil has spoken about MOES before.
In addition, Dr. George Lenchner, well
known author, speaker, and founder of several strong math organizations,
may participate in place of one of
the above. He can be reached through
me.
mailto:moes@i-2000.com
>Subtopics within the panel discussion and speakers:
TOPIC: Starting and Coaching a Math Team in Elementary
School
1. Organizing a Team and Recruiting Students
Organizing a Team
Determining a PICO
Volunteer from faculty
Classroom teacher with his/her
students
Other?
Determining source of population
Multiple grade levels
Selection process
Qualifying test survivor
Honors group only
Teacher recommendations
Interest in problem solving
Volunteer Process
Combination Process: selection
and volunteer
One entire class or grade level
2. Determining meeting structure (more
details later from Marshalyn,
‘Preparing Kids for Contests”)
Time: after school or evenings,
during math class, lunch time, or pull out
time
Groupings: even #’s preferable,
2-6
Some format options
Instruct/Practice/Discuss
General Meeting, Instruct, Practice,
Discuss, Games i.e. chess
3. Utilizing the program’s flexibility
to accommodate individual school needs
Level of competitiveness
Enrichment and/or strengthening
of skills
4. Determining parent involvement
Parent letter to describe program
and/or announce child’s selection
Parent volunteers to assist
with program
Parent involvement =’s support
and success of program
5. Recruiting Students
Format driven recruitment
Selection options
Teacher recommendations
Interest based
Ability based
Limited enrollment
35 by program structure
Best to begin with fewer students
and allow room for growth
If students are volunteering,
a combination of having been selected and
1st come 1st serve is motivating
Parent letter
Selection announcement
Program description
“The hook”
Games at end
Hot chocolate after contest
Enrollment deadline with first
come first serve