November 1, 2024Honoring Diversity, Learning Environment, Math Classroomby Math for All

Putting Students at the Center: Helping Teachers Make Decisions About Instructional Strategies to Ensure the Success of Diverse Learners in Math

As mathematics classrooms are becoming more and more diverse, teachers aiming to help all of their students learn are increasingly challenged. Pandemic-related learning gaps, the arrival of newcomers who may have experienced interrupted schooling, and the increase in the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms have intensified performance differences among students. It is widely recognized that teachers require help and support to meet the varied needs of the different students they serve. There is less certainty, however, about the kind of support that will help teachers to make this happen.

February 22, 2024Honoring Diversity, Learning Environment, Math Classroomby Math for All

Honoring Diversity: What, why, and how?

The Math for All team has been reading Carol Ann Tomlinson’s Everybody’s Classroom for the past few months. There are many connections between Tomlinson’s work and our work in Math for All, as well as some key takeaways that deepen our understanding of making math accessible to all students. In this blog post, we explore what honoring diversity means to us and, building on Tomlinson’s work, take a deep dive into a flexible mathematics classroom environment that can enhance our ability to honor students’ diversity as learners.

February 22, 2023Belonging, Learning, Learning Environmentby Math for All

Reframing our Goals for Mathematics Education: The Importance of Nurturing a Sense of Belonging

Think of a situation where you felt you belonged. What was that like? What made that happen for you? Consider a time when you sensed that you didn’t belong. How did you feel? What made you uncomfortable? And what do these questions have to do with teaching and learning mathematics? You will find out in this blog.

October 18, 2022Learning, Learning Environment, Neurodevelopmental Functionsby Math for All

Addressing a Range of Learning Needs Through Co-Teaching

Imagine two classrooms. In the first, a general education teacher and a special education teacher work separately. The general education teacher takes the lead on instruction and the special education teacher assists and provides additional support, focusing primarily on students with an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Communication between the teachers revolves around logistics such as time management. There is little common planning time; each teacher plans independently for their specific students.

September 19, 2022Back to School, Learning, Learning Environmentby Math for All

Routines for Mathematical Thinking & Engagement

The beginning of the school year is filled with excitement and anticipation. There are materials to prepare and organize, lessons to plan, and classrooms to set up. As teachers, we think carefully about the norms, structures, and routines that we want to establish. Everything from housekeeping to how we communicate with each other to how we move about the classroom contribute to students feeling safe to share their thinking, take risks, and solve problems.

June 8, 2022Games, Learning Environment, Summerby Math for All

Summer—A time to find the Joy, Beauty, and Utility of Mathematics (and get better at it, too!)

Summer can be a time for students and teachers alike to take a break from the intense lockstep schedule and pressures of the school year and take a breath. We might be outdoors more often, engage in sports or the arts, and generally do things we don't have time for during the school year. It can also be a time to find joy in the life of the mind, without the usual structures, stresses, and constraints that come with days divided into time slots, subjects, and pacing charts. There may be time to discover what thoughts and theories one is curious about, what one likes to learn about, and what ideas are fun to play with. When children play with math, without expectations of demonstrating achievement or competence, they too may find the fun and the beauty in math, as well as a sense of empowerment in doing so. Developing a positive disposition toward math is likely to lead to learning, both in the summer and in the school year to come.

March 28, 2022Learning, Learning Environment, Psychologyby Math for All

Mitigating Bias in Mathematics Instruction

You may ask yourself, “Who in my class has the potential to do well in math?” The resounding response must be that all children can succeed in math and even find pleasure in doing mathematical tasks (Boaler, 2016). Proficiency in mathematical concepts and competency with mathematical skills are not singular to a particular child, nor is there a certain group of children predisposed to be mathematicians (Boaler, 2016). Math is for ALL; it should be inclusive, transcending labels such as gender, classification (i.e., general education and special education) and ethnicity, among others.

May 18, 2021Learning, Learning Environment, Psychologyby Math for All

Learning and the Pandemic

There has been much media coverage recently about “learning loss” that has occurred during the pandemic. Such reports often reference studies that have attempted to predict or measure student performance in reading and mathematics using common assessment instruments such as the NWEA Map Test (e.g., Kuhfeld et al., 2020) or iReady (Curriculum Associates, 2021). Findings show that, compared to previous school years, students perform lower on these assessments in both reading and mathematics. These studies also show that the most marginalized students are disproportionally affected, with drops in performance being greater for the lowest performing students, and for students attending schools that serve a majority of Black and Latinx students or schools in low-income zip codes.

March 30, 2021Learning, Learning Environment, Psychologyby Math for All

The Importance of Emotionally Supportive Learning Environments in Mathematical Engagement

As the saying goes, “Maslow before Bloom.” These three words sum up decades of research that show how a sense of physical and emotional safety is the foundation for the development of social, emotional, and academic competencies. Learning environments that are emotionally supportive are associated with a variety of positive outcomes in mathematics classrooms, such as improved mathematics achievement, greater engagement, greater effort, and less fear of making mistakes.

Learning Environment