Learning Intentions in Mathematics:

Teachers can withhold the learning intentions until after an exploration has occurred. Teachers can invite students to explain what they learned from the lessons and compare that with the initial learning intention for the lesson. Interesting class discussions about the alignments can provide a great deal of insight into student understanding.

There are few hallmarks of good learning intentions...

• Learning intentions should be shared with students so that students understand what success looks like. Recognize that not all students in the class will be working at the same rate or starting from the same place, so it's important to adapt the plan relating to the intentions to make it clear to all students.

• Learning does not happen in a neat, linear sequence, therefore the cascade from the curriculum aim through the achievement objective to the learning intention is sometimes complex.

• Learning intentions and activities can be grouped if one activity can continue to more than one learning intention or one learning intention may need several activities for students to understand it fully.

• Learning intentions are what we intend students to learn, but it is important to realize students may learn other things not planned for, so teachers need to be aware of unintended consequences.

Students have the right to know what they're supposed to learn, and why they're supposed to learn it.