What if a “wrong” answer tells you more than a correct one? In today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Derek Briggs, professor of educational assessment at the University of Colorado Boulder, to unpack why assessment should go beyond testing, and instead focus on progress over mastery. Derek shows how context and thinking processes matter just as much as outcomes, and why mastery is not always simply laid out.

To support a deeper understanding of progress, we explore a roadmap for measuring growth throughout your day-to-day. Start with a clear baseline, define where students are headed, and chart the route with smart, formative checkpoints. Derek shares an approach to “triage with intention”: use periodic measures to inform flexible grouping, then rotate focused attention across groups so support stays equitable. Derek also shares the power of strategic questioning, including entry and exit tickets. Over time, these small insights into a student's depth of knowledge add up to a clear picture that guides instruction.

Derek goes on to discuss the power of community. Inside the classroom, heterogeneous groups help students model strategies, language, and persistence for one another. Across the school, teachers who bring open-ended student work to the table can discuss expectations, co-create rubrics, and see patterns that single classrooms miss. And when families understand the learning goals and what quality work looks like, home practice becomes purposeful and encouraging. The result is a culture where curiosity replaces judgment, students take ownership of growth, and assessment becomes a daily driver of learning.

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Have feedback, questions, or want to be a guest? Email ExtraordinaryEducators@cainc.com to connect with us!

In today's episode, we sit down with STEM Coordinator, and veteran educator, Karen Gauthier to unpack how a problem-based curriculum turns learners into mathematicians who reason, justify, and connect strategies with confidence.

Karen traces her 37-year journey from classroom teacher to district leader and explains why shifting to a problem-based math curriculum changed everything. We examine the Try-Discuss Connect routine, showing how rich tasks with multiple entry points invite diverse strategies and deeper understanding. You’ll hear what can look like in real classrooms: students choosing tools that make sense to them, partners explaining their thinking before whole-group share-outs, and teachers curating student work to highlight mathematical structure rather than a single “right way.” Karen also shares routines that guarantee equitable discourse, such as structured partnerships with clear roles and timing, so 100% of students answer 100% of the questions.

If you want to build student agency, improve transfer, and foster a classroom culture where ideas matter more than steps, this conversation offers concrete moves you can use today.

Read the blog: CurriculumAssociates.com/blog/
Follow us on Twitter: @CurriculumAssoc
Follow us on Instagram: @MyiReady
Have feedback, questions, or want to be a guest? Email ExtraordinaryEducators@cainc.com to connect with us!

Today we sit down with third-grade teacher Natalie Banks to unpack a simple, powerful framework: courage to try small-group instruction, clarity to guide learning with posted intentions and success criteria, and connection to build a community where every student’s voice matters.

Natalie explains how she restructured her time, used data to form flexible groups, and leaned on ready-made materials to keep planning realistic. She paints a a picture of rotations that work: a teacher table using manipulatives to deepen understanding, an independent station with targeted practice, and partner activities to reinforce strategies. Along the way, we dig into the routines that keep everything smooth, ranging from explicit transitions, to shared norms for math talk, and quick checks that make progress visible.

Read the blog: CurriculumAssociates.com/blog/
Follow us on Twitter: @CurriculumAssoc
Follow us on Instagram: @MyiReady
Have feedback, questions, or want to be a guest? Email ExtraordinaryEducators@cainc.com to connect with us!