ABSTRACT
Learning is a process filled with twists and turns. To invite students to engage in rough draft mathematics, it helps to be explicit that a zigzagging process of thinking is normal as we develop new understandings. Students learn to anticipate and even appreciate bumpy moments of learning together. Brandy Cooper teaches mathematics to sixth-grade students in Milford, Delaware. Brandy identified a dilemma that she wanted to address related to the culture of her classroom. During rough draft sharing, Brandy asked students to talk about changes to their thinking. For Brandy, incorporating a round of rough draft sharing was a key instructional move to shift her classroom culture during whole-class discussions. A principle underlying the use of rough draft math is that a significant goal of learning in mathematics classrooms is to develop conceptual understanding.
