“I’ve always been terrible at math.” While common in mainstream American culture, this statement should concern us when coming from a prospective 3rd grade teacher—someone who bears the responsibility of educating children in a variety of subject areas. Will this negative sentiment be passed down to his students? Will she allot less time to a subject she does not like or understand? Will a child’s creative solution fail to be recognized? We feel everyone can learn to love mathematics if they understand it. If students are given the space to explore and opportunities to share, this platitude may one day become, “I’ve always loved math. It has always made sense to me.”
Have you heard similar statements from your students? How did you react? What can we do as a community? Join our discussion now.
Keith Nabb, Xianwei Van Harpen