Heather Fink & Alyssa Sayavedra 
Mathematics Teaching On Target 
A Guide to Teaching for Robust Understanding at All Grade Levels

Mathematics Teaching On Target is a guidebook for improving mathematics teaching, based on the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) Framework and its five dimensions – The Mathematics, Cognitive Demand, Equitable Access, Agency, Ownership, and Identity, and Formative Assessment. You’ll be guided to refine your classroom activities across the five TRU dimensions, and your students will become more knowledgeable and resourceful thinkers and problem solvers.

Each chapter in Mathematics Teaching On Target introduces a set of easy-to-use questions for the hands-on improvement of lesson activities, such as:

• Think of an activity you use with your students. Is it as mathematically rich as it might be?


• Does it stretch your students in the right ways, inviting “productive struggle”?


• Can all students engage with it, in ways that allow them to grow as mathematical thinkers?


• What evidence will student work provide, helping you revise the activity so that it works better both in the moment and next time?

You’ll find examples at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels for each dimension that show how addressing these questions can enhance mathematics instruction.

Ideal for your individual classroom, learning community, or district-level and wider professional development efforts, this book will enable you to help more students engage with mathematics in increasingly powerful ways. Beyond individual lessons, this book will also accelerate teacher development by helping you focus and reflect on what really counts in your instruction.