Educators from Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) recently presented at the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State (AMTNYS) 75th Annual Conference, held November 7-8 at the Hyatt Regency and Rochester Convention Center.
The conference featured two sessions led by LACS math teachers Melissa Weiner and Christopher Martin, each highlighting instructional practices that center student well-being, thinking, and voice.
Weiner presented Mindfulness in the Classroom and a Mini Yoga Class. Participants explored practical mindfulness strategies that can be easily incorporated into classroom routines to support student well-being, focus, and engagement. The session concluded with a brief chair yoga practice, which was well-received by attendees.
At LACS, Weiner integrates these practices into her classroom community. Each class begins with a “mindful minute” to help students arrive ready to learn. They start with a 30-second pause to check in with themselves, breathe, and quietly reflect on the math goal for the day. Daily breathing and movement exercises, such as square breathing, triangle breathing, three‑part breath, finger breathing, and brief movement breaks, help reduce stress, sharpen focus, and create a calm, consistent routine. The philosophy: if we breathe together, we can learn together.
Martin presented Delving Into the Rich World of Student Mistakes and Misconceptions, which centered on the power of student thinking, including even misconceptions, as a key pathway to deeper mathematical understanding. Drawing on current research, the presentation offered approaches for surfacing student ideas and using them to guide rich mathematical discussions that center student voice.
This approach mirrors Martin’s classroom practice, where students routinely engage in inquiry-based learning with lessons and curricular materials designed to pull student thinking to the forefront of the classroom experience. Martin cites the work of Dan Meyer as a major influence on his work.
“Dan Meyer points out that, all too often, the problem isn’t that students find math class to be irrelevant, but rather the other way around,” Martin shared. “How often are our students relevant to our classes? We’ve all seen that lesson that wouldn’t change one bit whether there were students in the classroom or not. And while it sounds easy to change things so that student ideas drive our lessons, it’s actually quite challenging.”
Both LACS-led sessions were met with enthusiasm from educators across New York State.
“The school’s philosophy and the district’s support give us the freedom to pursue and implement these educational best practices in our classroom,” Martin said. “We’re also appreciative of the district’s generosity in providing us the opportunity to share what we have learned with dozens of other math teachers across the state.”
LACS, a 6-12 alternative school within the Ithaca City School District, is known for its focus on democratic education, relationship-centered learning, and student empowerment. Teachers and students co-create learning experiences that emphasize reflection, curiosity, and authentic engagement. The school’s commitment to small class communities, project-based learning, and student choice creates an environment where innovative instructional practices like those shared at AMTNYS can thrive.