Jo Boaler came up with a list of positive norms to help support math learning in the classroom, listed below:
Tuesday, 3 October 2017
Week 5 - Math for All
Ever since I have decided to become a math teacher and started telling people that is what I am in school for I have received two different responses. I've either been told that I must be smart to be able to get a math degree or I have been told that that person never was a math person. Both of these responses hold math at a high standard that you have to be smart in order to understand math and that it is only for certain people who have the right genetics to be a math person. No matter how I have tried to explain it to these people that anyone can learn math, they don't believe it because they have grown up believing that math is only for some people, not for all of us. During this week's lesson it was particularly refreshing to hear that math can be for whoever wants to learn it, because our brains are constantly working and creating new synapses and connections and that all it takes is working at it to get the 'math brain'. It hurts me when I hear students say that they just aren't good at math because that means that they have given up on ever being good at it when all it is is that they are not good at it yet. Math is a process of learning, making mistakes and finding new ways to understand what you thought you already understood. We watched a video of Jo Boaler speaking about this exact thing; anyone can learn math and in extension anything that they want to, as long as they work at it. Now the key question is: how do we get students to not give up and be motivated enough to want to continue learning math?
Jo Boaler came up with a list of positive norms to help support math learning in the classroom, listed below:
These positive sentences can help to give a safe learning environment to our students so that they will be more open and willing to explore what they are learning. When I was in high school I was terrified of making a mistake or asking a question that all the other students might already have the answer for in front of the classroom. I was worried that I wouldn't appear smart anymore and because of it, I had probably lessened my learning. Appearance counts in high school; each student is worried about what the other students will think of them. If we are able to make social appearances separate from learning by making the classroom a safe place for the students where they won't feel judged by their peers, we can help them expand their learning by communicating, asking questions, and making sense of the math concepts. I believe these positive norms can help us to transform the math class into a true learning environment for all of our students.
Jo Boaler came up with a list of positive norms to help support math learning in the classroom, listed below:
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Your point about social appearances is a very valid one! I have been in many elementary classrooms where all students are excited to share their thinking - they all have their hands up. Then, these same students get to high school and social pressures, changes in social groups, greater criticism from their peers, all seem to change that. How do we help students overcome this? HOw do we get them to share their thinking with the same enthusiasm of a younger student?
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good question, one that I don't think has a definitive answer. Each student comes into the classroom with their own past experiences, which gives each of them an individualized outlook on education. Even if we promote positive norms in the classroom, it might not convince some of the students that it is truly a safe space for learning. I think that in order to help the students overcome the idea of possible peer criticism, we should try to figure out the individual's reasoning for not wanting to speak out in front of their peers, on top of giving the class an expectation on positive norms in the classroom. We should show the students on an individual level that their input and opinions are valid and important while at the same time promoting a safe learning space in the classroom and hopefully then we could get the students to open up.
DeleteIn addition, I believe that the fear of having marks put on class participation may make some students anxious about participating as well. So I believe that it should be told to the students when they are getting graded and when they are not getting graded to possibly help lessen the anxiety levels in the classroom.
There is no specific formula for getting students to speak up more in class, because no student thinks or does things in the same way or for the same reason. Therefore I believe that getting to know the student as an individual would greatly help us to find a way to help them open up to the classroom.
Hi Colleen! I really enjoyed reading this post and all the points you brought up. I can definitely relate to telling people about becoming a math teacher and the reactions I get. I agree that this is worrying because it portrays math as a subject that is out of reach and difficult for most, when we know that this is not the case. Your ideas about a safe classroom are so important because without an environment where students feel comfortable, how can they become the best learner they can be? I have seen too many students afraid to ask questions in class and this is where we as teachers need to figure out how we can reach these students.
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