Inside a 4th Grade Math Modern Classroom

Explore Toni-Ann Young’s 4th grade math classroom in Durham Public Schools and learn how she structures student groups to support learning, collaboration, and leadership.

Toni-Ann uses intentional grouping to create a classroom where students make meaning together, and sets up her classroom to support that.

Some things you might not see in this photo—

  • Pacing groups are color-coded and set for at least an entire unit (but sometimes much longer) so collaboration happens naturally and productively.

  • A clear facilitation role means Toni-Ann is always moving with purpose: she's assigned to the students who need the most support, while students in other groups step up to help each other until she can get there.

  • Independence is built into the right moments of the learning process. The collaborative energy in the classroom is real, but it doesn't replace individual accountability.


Keep Learning About Modern Math Classrooms

Our Math Curriculum Solutions

Discover how to pair high‑quality instructional materials with blended, self‑paced, and mastery‑based teaching - so every student gets what they need without burning teachers out.

 

MCPU: Modern Math Classrooms

Go behind the scenes with expert math educators who illustrate how their mode of teaching allows them to support learners who have significant gaps in their learning or lack confidence in their ability to learn complex skills.

 

Collaboration in a Modern Classroom

The Modern Classroom instructional model allows for teachers to adapt blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to best meet their students’ needs within the discipline they teach. No two Modern Classrooms look alike, but collaboration can be an effective strategy to build classroom culture and enhance student learning outcomes.


 

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From One-Size-Fits-All to Responsive Instruction: Leading Differentiation at Scale