Positioning
Students as Learners and Doers of Mathematics
November 2024
One
of the key recommendations from Catalyzing Change reminds us that
“Mathematics instruction should be consistent with research-informed and
equitable teaching practices that nurture children’s positive mathematical
identities and strong sense of agency.” Fostering students’ identities and
agency in mathematics allows students to use their lived experiences to build
on prior knowledge and make connections as they actively engage in mathematics.
Students learn to collaborate with their peers as they communicate and explain
their mathematical thinking and learn to take ownership of the learning
process. Students no longer see mathematics as just a set of rules and
procedures provided by the teacher but they begin to put themselves in the
driver’s seat and start to understand the relevance of mathematics concepts to
real-world applications and everyday life. Empowering students to take charge
of their learning fosters resilience, motivates them to explore mathematical
concepts with curiosity and confidence, and fosters a classroom culture where
everyone’s ideas are valued.
While
it is important to plan and invest the time at the beginning of the school year
or semester engaging in tasks that allow us to get to know our students as
mathematics learners, it’s equally important to select activities that extend
beyond the beginning of the year's getting-to-know-you activities. To create
and sustain a positive classroom culture that positions students as learners
and doers of mathematics, we must intentionally plan for and implement
structures that allow us to promote positive student identities and a strong
sense of agency.
In
my experience, I’ve found that establishing a positive classroom community that
nurtures students’ positive mathematical identities is an ongoing process. As
educators, we can implement consistent and intentional practices to support
positive mathematical identities and agency. Establish math goals to focus learning,
one of the eight Mathematics Teaching Practices from NCTM’s Principles to
Actions: Ensuring Mathematics Succes for All, states that “effective
teaching of mathematics establishes clear goals for the mathematics that
students are learning and uses the goals to guide instructional decisions.”
Here are four intentional practices educators can implement to establish math
goals and focus learning to nurture positive mathematical identities and a
strong sense of agency:
- Establish norms for classroom
discourse that provide varied (e.g., written or verbal) opportunities for all
students to actively participate and share their thinking with peers. For
example, students should be encouraged to share their reasoning and thinking
and engage in discussions with peers in partner and group settings. Center
students as the discussion leaders to foster a positive mathematical identity.
- Plan lessons and activities that
build on students’ cultural backgrounds, interests, and community-based
knowledge to validate students’ funds of knowledge.
- Plan to incorporate questions that
assess and advance students’ reasoning and sense making of mathematical ideas
and relationships to allow students to enact agency as a thinker and doers of
mathematics.
- Use tasks that “rouse” student
interest and allow students to make real-life applications. Select tasks that encourage multiple
approaches and multiple entry points to support positive dispositions about
mathematics. And include culturally
relevant tasks whenever possible.
If
we as mathematics educators nurture positive mathematical identities and a
strong sense of agency, we can establish inclusive, student-centered classroom
communities where all students see themselves as learners and doers of
mathematics.
Latrenda
Knighten
NCTM
President
@LatrendaK