Make Math Collaborative

Professional Learning

Concentric engages math teachers and leaders in transformational in-person and virtual training focused on effective formative assessment strategies, powerful cooperative learning approaches, and increased student discourse, with an emphasis on culturally and linguistically responsive practices in the math classroom.

Concentric grounds professional learning in:

  • Jo Boaler’s research on complex instruction

  • Elizabeth Cohen and Rachel Lotan’s Designing Groupwork

  • Kenji Hakuta’s work at Understanding Language

  • Rochelle Gutierrez’s research on rehumanizing mathematics

  • The Shell Center’s Formative Assessment Lessons

Instructional and Leadership Coaching

Concentric partners with math teachers and leaders through coaching focused on high-leverage instructional practices and effective facilitation, including co-teaching, co-planning, observations, classroom video analysis, student work analysis, and task/assessment development, in order to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics. 

Concentric grounds coaching in:

  • Harvard’s Data Wise

  • Coalition of Essential Schools’ coach training

  • Cognitive coaching

Strategic Planning

Concentric partners with math teachers and leaders in strategic planning for departments, schools, and districts through an asset-based lens. Concentric uses an inclusive inquiry process that involves analysis of artifacts and data to co-develop and implement high-impact strategic plans based in continuous improvement to achieve system-wide goals centered in equity.

Concentric grounds strategic planning in:

  • Harvard’s Public Education Leadership Project (PELP)

  • Harvard’s Reimagining Integration, Diversity, and Equity in Schools (RIDES)

  • Improvement science from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

“Kentaro partnered closely with our district leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers for many years to increase student engagement and performance in math in our district. Kentaro led effective professional learning in formative assessment strategies, cooperative learning, and discourse, and trained most of our secondary math teachers which improved math instruction, particularly for our English Learners and Multilingual Learners. Our teachers and coaches really enjoyed their learning experiences with Kentaro. He knows what works in the classroom from his own teaching experience and research, and he also understands how departments, schools, and district systems work. He is very collaborative, and I've enjoyed working with him!”

Frank Miranda, Superintendent, Colton Joint Unified School District (California)

“Working with Kentaro was some of the best professional learning I have experienced. His work with our teachers and coaches has changed the way we approach teaching and learning math. His multi-tiered coaching - of teacher groups, individual teachers and instructional coaches like myself - was incredibly effective at meeting each individual and group where they are and gently but firmly nudging us forward. He has the pedagogical expertise, research base, personal experience, and interpersonal and facilitation skills needed to help us make a significant shift in how we approach math.”

Nadya Bech-Conger, Associate Director of Teaching and Learning, Burlington School District (Vermont)

“Kentaro facilitates powerful professional learning for teachers, coaches, and leaders that provides immediate strategies to engage students in deep collaboration in math with an equity focus. Kentaro leads with humility, kindness, and humor, and his training is engaging and relevant. He builds deep connections and a reflective, open, and brave space to transform teacher and leader practice and mindsets. He models valuing each person and their contribution to the group's learning--which gets transferred to students in the classroom!”

Alice Keeler, Author of 50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom

“Working with Dr. Iwasaki is an eye-opening experience. He never wavers from laser focus on what is truly best for students. His lengthy and intimate experience with what works to create an equitable and successful math program for students is something that he believes in very deeply, and without imposing his beliefs on others. His professional development modules are moving and actionable. Dr. Iwasaki is a holistic thinker and true visionary who is blessed with the skill to help teachers, teacher leaders, and school systems bring their math education to a higher level.”

Patricia Murphy-Sheehy, Math Department Head, Somerville High School, Somerville Public Schools (Massachusetts)

Listen up

Podcast “Ideas for connecting equity work and mathematics” on Third Space with Kentaro Iwasaki as guest

Get in Touch

Concentric’s work focuses on making math more collaborative, particularly in the middle and high school grades (6th-12th).

Concentric seeks to build capacity among teachers and leaders to lead the work in their settings.