Our last discussion focused on planning for equity before the term starts. Once the term begins, the first weeks of the class are a crucial time for us to build students’ sense of belonging and their belief that we will support them in their learning of mathematics. Indeed, IMPACT’s Ownership pillar reminds us to be mindful of how our biases and prejudices may affect student learning. Further, IMPACT's Proficiency reminds us that the learning environment must promote principles of inclusion, access, and equity. To be sure, we need to be sensitive to the impact of mathematics anxiety to student success while we ensure we maintain high expectations for students and clearly communicate these expectations throughout the term.
What strategies do you use as the term begins to achieve the three goals of building a student’s sense of belonging, conveying your expectations, and providing adequate support?