Math Coach Briana Tanner help students to explore math concepts

MADISON – “I think I’ve got it!” Those words from a student are invaluable to Briana Tanner, who’s in her first year as Math Coach for Madison City Schools at Rainbow Elementary School, now using math toolkits.

A student’s math toolkit includes hands-on materials for daily math lessons. “Every child in every classroom has tools they need to explore, model and make sense of math concepts,” Tanner said.

Toolkits are “equitably tailored to a specific grade-level”:

• Kindergartners — Two-colored counters and ten-frames to build numbers, count and develop early number sense.

• Grades 1-2 — Number lines, two-color counters and place-value tools like baseten blocks that represent addition and subtraction strategies.

• Grade 3 – More advanced representations, like pattern blocks and dice to visualize multiplication, division and fractions.

• Grades 4-5 – More complex fraction strips or place-value blocks.

A major advantage of toolkits is elimination of students’ need of borrowing materials or insufficient supplies. “These (toolkits) help make math concrete. When students can build, count, sort, model and manipulate objects, abstract ideas become easier to understand” and their ‘number sense’ strengthens, Tanner said.

Before coaching, Tanner served four years on the MCS Elementary Math Leadership Team, collaborating closely with specialists and teachers enthusiastic about high-quality math instruction. “Those collaborations shaped my understanding of effective teaching practices, data-driven decision-making and intentional support teachers need,” Tanner said.

At Rainbow, Tanner supports teachers for K-5 by “analyzing student data, facilitating Professional Learning Communities, helping plan standards-aligned lessons, and modeling instructional strategies in classrooms.” She also serves on Rainbow’s Response to Intervention problem-solving team for targeted instructional interventions and math tutoring.

Teachers use math kits during wholegroup lessons, small-group instruction and independent practice. For example, a teacher asks students to show a subtraction strategy. “Instead of simply listening, students engage with math by exploring, building and visually representing ideas,” Tanner said.

“Overall, teachers’ response about Math Toolkits has been positive. Participation varied as the toolkit was never required. Some teachers already had strong sets of manipulatives. Others were excited to have kits created for them so they could focus on planning and supporting students. Feedback made it clear — our teachers are committed to engaging math-learning experiences,” Tanner said.

One early indicator for the kits’ success will be student engagement. “When students can actively build and model their thinking, they tend to show more confidence, persistence and willingness to try new strategies,” Tanner said. “Another sign of success will come . . . when teachers report that students are independently reaching for their toolkits.”

Parents play a powerful role in supporting a child struggling with math. Start with encouragement. Even Tanner struggled with math as a child. “My parents reminded me it was OK to learn at my own pace.”

Parents can use simple activities: counting objects; playing card or dice games; sorting household items; or asking, “Can you show me another way?” Above all, stay connected with the child’s teacher.

Now with 10-years’ experience, she first taught pre-kindergarten in Birmingham City Schools and then kindergarten at Madison Elementary School. “My focus will always be helping young learners grow,” she said.

At Northwest-Shoals Community College, Tanner earned an associate’s degree in business administration. At the University of North Alabama, she received a bachelor’s degree in education. She graduated on Dec. 10 with a master’s degree in elementary and early childhood education from the University of West Alabama.

Tanner has grown with professional learning: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Seattle; Jim Knight Instructional Coaching Institute; Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative; and Office of Math Improvement.

Her one-year-old Goldendoodle named Bennie “brings so much joy into my home, Tanner said.

Tanner expressed gratitude for Rainbow PTA throughout the toolkit project. “They immediately saw the value. With their support, this project became so much more than an idea on paper. It became a reality.”