The grade 5/6 class at St. David Catholic School learned what counts, what matters, what is important, when we solve a math problem completely. The students were involved in co-developing success criteria for problem solving in a lesson modelled by renewed, interactive educational speaker and author, Sandra Herbst.

The students and Ms. Herbst developed the criteria, while the Board’s principals and vice principals observed the lesson. The lesson included modelling, peer conversation, higher level questioning and the organization and sharing of student ideas to co-construct success criteria. The lesson was an opportunity for not only student learning, but also staff learning. The staff involved attended a pre-lesson professional development session, then attended a de-breifing after the demonstration lesson. Ms. Herbst spent the week working with Sudbury Catholic Schools teachers, principals, vice principals and students from a variety of Sudbury Catholic elementary and secondary schools.