“I’m on a highway right now and I don’t know where I’m going, or whether I want to get off at any of the exits,” says Bob Borst, a seventh grade  math teacher at Gentry Middle school in Columbia. That analogy best describes this enthusiastic school teacher, who has been go-getting since he picked up his Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education in 1992. He’s now a member of the Master’s Cohort for Math Education, an MU initiative that studies mathematics curriculum, teaching and classroom materials in Missouri and around the world.

Why did you join the Master’s Math Education Cohort?

After being a math teacher for 12 years, I became interested in this as a growth and leadership opportunity. I am able to expand my knowledge while staying in my current teaching position. So far, I’ve become more familiar with the curriculum, increased my knowledge of the Grade Level Expectations (GLE’s), and have been given opportunities to make an impact in math education.

What do you enjoy most about the master’s cohort?

The neat part about the cohort design is you work, research and study with other teachers. We are encouraged to develop as leaders of mathematics in our schools. In the end, we’re all looking to improve curriculum and its implemention so our children’s classroom experiences will lead to a deeper understanding of mathematics, which will be indicated by higher test scores.

Describe the work you’ve done in the program

Much of our work has been centered on developing our individual leadership proposals.  For example, I’m interested in creating an extra math literacy class for students at my school, similar to its current reading literacy program.  Through research and collaboration with my cohort my idea may actually become reality. That is very exciting!

At the same time, I am diving into mathematics curricula.  By studying other countries’ expectations, I’ve been able to compare international curriculum standards to what we have in the U.S. Our cohort has also reviewed math curriculum’s historic trends, from the 1940s through the years of math reform, which continue today.  So, besides developing as leaders, our group focuses on curriculum development and how to connect that development to the current GLEs.

Is the program’s work applicable in the classroom?

Everything we do in the master’s program could be used in our classrooms. In the program, we advance ideas from the developmental to the proposal and implementation stages. An assignment in the program is much more than an assignment — it’s not just hypothetical and philosophical, you’re able to make changes as a result. Knowing that what I am doing is having an impact gives me a vested interest in our projects.  I have the feeling that our project-work could go somewhere and that’s a neat feeling.

What are some of the biggest concerns in Math curriculum?

Having textbooks and curriculum that aren’t tailored to meet the specific state standards is a common problem in most communities.  District math leaders and teachers need to determine whether their chosen curriculum and textbooks really support the standards and how children learn. You can stick a book in front of a teacher and tell them to go forth and teach, but there’s a lot more to it than that if we are to meet the needs of the No Child Left Behind legislation. Our peer groups are addressing the need to tailor curriculum. Additionally, some textbooks are what we call “a mile wide and an inch deep,” because they are developed to fit states’ requirements but lack the curriculum tailoring that is needed in today’s classrooms.

How does your involvement with the master’s cohort impact your career as a teacher?

Cohort members are seen as leaders in the classroom and by our teacher peers. I’ve always been a very reflective teacher, responsive to the students’ needs, but I feel even more accountability now to others in the educational setting. I’ve really enjoyed my graduate studies, as they bring depth to both my experience and work. I now look at curriculum and what we’re doing in the classroom from an ‘expert’ perspective, which lends a more research-based perception to my daily work in the classroom and to my discussions with students, parents and other teachers.  I want to make an impact on math education not only in Columbia but at a national level.  This program has provided the encouragement and the platform so that, in just a short time, 15 teacher-leaders like me will be making tremendous efforts to improve the mathematics education for our nation.

How have you tied your other two degrees - educational technology and elementary education - into your current studies and/or work experiences?

I will never forget my short experience as an elementary school teacher.  I think knowledge of the elementary school child is important for middle school teachers.  It is important to understand where children are in their cognitive, emotional and physical development.  I make a difference when I take each child by the hand and guide them through the life of school and mathematics and take into account each child's developmental needs. 

The use of technology and its future in our economy is important.  I chose the educational technology program so I could stay current with the new technologies being adopted in our schools.  I feel leaders should always keep an eye on the emerging technologies and their potential impact on education.  This cohort has had a couple of courses on educational technologies.  Afterwards, we were all overwhelmed with all the possibilities and what it takes to stay "current."