K8TMROC MISSION

In addition to being a source of social support for teachers, the K-8 Teachers of Math in Rural Oregon Collective (K8TMROC) facilitates teachers sharing resources to improve math literacy by reducing math anxiety and increasing general well-being, especially for multilingual students and students classified with disabilities.

K8TMROC Values

Driven by a ‘for teachers, by teachers’ ethos, K8TMROC embraces an asset-based view of rural education. Recognizing math as a cultural reflection, and building on the research that finds that countries that outperform the US perceive math skills as the result of learning and effort rather than rare natural ability, we reject the notion that anyone is ‘just not a math person.’ Finally, with learning dependent on mental well-being and a sense of belonging, we seek classroom spaces that support all students, including multilingual learners and those with disabilities, to thrive in math.

K8TMROC VISION

Enduring community of teachers linked to each other and to STEM resources across the state despite being separated by space.

Rural Oregon Teachers' Perspectives of K8TMROC

  • “We all win when we collaborate and learn from each other! Teaching can feel like an island, so meeting others like us who we can talk with is huge!”

    -Sandy

  • “Mathematics is a subject that students notoriously struggle in. An effort like this can share ideas and methods that can over time, shift math culture.”

    -Jake

  • “It is greatly needed. Reading is the main focus in my district right now and math has been pushed to the side.”

    -Jennifer

  • “We have unique problems and experiences that are not always relatable in a group of teachers from large school districts.”

    -Nicole

  • “We can share resources and strategies to overcome the challenges of teaching in rural schools.”

    -Miranda

  • "Because our kids are doubly or triply disenchanted with math and learning."

    -Brian