Teachers gather in St. Joseph to sharpen math instruction skills

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Educators from across the region came together in St. Joseph for a special summer training hosted by the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM). 

The two-day event focused on helping teachers strengthen their classroom instruction and improve how students learn math. 

By working together and sharing ideas, the goal is to help students better understand mathematical concepts—and do so more efficiently and effectively. 

“There were a group of teachers to boost student thinking and their engagement, it not about giving the kids tricks or tips but conceptual understanding so they know what they’re doing in class,” Shantell Cross, instructional coach said.  

At MCTM summer training, the focus was on changing how math is taught—starting with how teachers approach problem-solving in the classroom. 

Instead of simply giving students the answers, instructors were encouraged to dig deeper—guiding students to understand the why behind each step. The idea is to strengthen comprehension from the ground up. 

More than 250 educators from across Missouri took part in the two-day event, which is part of an ongoing statewide effort to improve math instruction.  

“The way that I look at this that teachers gain their skill set and they start to think about mathematics differently than what they have in the past and opening up that mindset can help them teach the kids about math,” Cross said.  

Cross says that when students are encouraged to use less traditional problem-solving methods, they tend to grasp the concepts more clearly—and often see better results on tests.  

“Whenever it comes to long term success with math, it helps kids understand  what I am learning now is going to be applicable to what I do in the future regardless of what they do in the future educationally,” Cross said.  

The training aims to move teachers away from giving flat answers when students struggle, and instead support them in building their own understanding.  

Ultimately, the hope is to help students become critical thinkers and confident problem-solvers—skills that go far beyond the classroom.