What is Mathematical Tasks

The process of providing effective ongoing professional development to teachers is an arduous task for educational leaders. In areas, such as mathematics, professional learning opportunities must deepen teachers' knowledge of content, pedagogy, and other skills connected to teaching. This chapter provides an examination of what teachers learned during a professional development project that was designed based off of principles for Learner-Centered Professional Development and addressed components of the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching framework. The project included 3 half-day meetings with classroom-embedded activities completed between workshops. An inductive, thematic analysis of workshop evaluations indicated that teachers' learning related to: a) a deeper understanding of the Common Core Mathematics Standards, b) exploring mathematical tasks, and c) planning lessons that start with mathematical tasks instead of direct teaching.