Starting the Year with Math Norms

The start of the school year is the ideal time to establish classroom math norms. These shared agreements about how we learn, talk, and work together set the tone for what math learning looks, sounds, and feels like in a collaborative, growth-oriented environment. Below are a few ways to get started:

1. Co-Construct Norms with Students
Involving students in creating math norms gives them ownership, builds community, and promotes productive teamwork. Have small groups brainstorm ideas using sentence starters like “I learn best in math when …” or “Successful group work in math looks like …”. Record their ideas on chart paper, then work toward a class consensus of 6-10 norms.

2. Reinforce, Revisit, and Reflect
Norms are not “one and done.” Keep them visible and refer to them often, especially during the first months of school. Highlight examples of effective teamwork, revisit norms regularly, celebrate when they are upheld, and adjust as needed.

3. Teach Collaboration Skills Explicitly
Don’t assume students already know how to collaborate. Skills such as active listening, taking turns, asking questions, and engaging in respectful math discussions need to be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. In the first few weeks, focus on building these habits through tasks that promote partner and small group collaboration. Capture photos of students working together and create a display titled “What Does Great Group Work Look Like?” to serve as a visual reminder. While this may feel time-consuming early on, the investment leads to stronger, more supportive learning communities.

Establishing math norms early in the year leads to lasting benefits - students develop habits of mind and community skills that make mathematical thinking richer, more equitable, and more joyful.

Reflection: How will you guide your class in building math norms this year? What steps will you take to make sure students feel ownership and share a common understanding of their meaning?