Step 1 in the 5 practices in practice

Building a math community means giving all students access to all problems. Tasks that have multiple entry points allow all students access while differentiating for students of different skill levels. In the 5 Practices in Practice (Smith and Sherin 2019) the initial step of anticipating, allows teachers to come together in professional learning communities or collaborative teams, to create or find tasks that fit the standards they are covering in class. The anticipating step also lets teachers think about in advance how students might find the solution to a given task. Taking time before assigning a task can help both the students and the teacher be more successful when approaching a rich task.