Math Classroom

May 19, 2023Learning, Math Classroom, Mathematicsby Math for All

Supporting Student Discourse after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Do your students seem less enthusiastic about working in math groups or communicating their ideas and thoughts in class? If so, you are not alone. Teachers with whom we work are observing a decline in students’ skills to work together and express their thoughts. What has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ discourse? A great deal has been written about the impact of the pandemic on student learning, standardized assessment results, and students’ social skills (Mervosh & Wu, 2022, Associated Press, 2022, Campbell, 2021). However, little has been written about how students’ ability to communicate their mathematical understandings has been impacted. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students’ abilities to develop mathematical discourse with their peers and communicate their mathematical understandings. This post will provide explicit structures and routines that can be used in classrooms to develop students’ ability to engage in productive mathematical discourse.

Who Really Invented Math?: A Need for Inclusive Math History in K-12

“When am I ever going to use this?” We, the authors, have been talking about math education since we met eight years ago, and trust us, this is not an easy question to field. Teachers can’t really predict which mathematics problems a student will face, so the quick answer has become, “In the future you’ll come across a problem and “presto” you will see the relevance of this bit of information.” In all fairness, while this is a time-saving response for the teacher, it does not address the real issue, which is “Why does the American student ask this question in the first place?”

Can Social and Emotional Learning be Addressed in a Mathematics Classroom?

During the last two years of our classroom teaching, a lot of what we knew to be true about teaching and learning shifted. Despite all the professional learning, schooling, and teaching experience we had, it hadn’t prepared us for what we continue to face as we work to reacclimate ourselves and our students to a “normal” classroom setting. Facilitating learning is no longer as straightforward as it once was; referring to a curriculum for guidance no longer applies at times because we’re doing more than just designing or teaching units of study that meet particular standards. We’re also being asked to address unfinished learning and to prioritize social and emotional learning (SEL) while ensuring we provide every student access to those grade-level standards.

Supporting Student Discourse after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Who Really Invented Math?: A Need for Inclusive Math History in K-12

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