#MyMathHero— Appreciating Mathematics Teachers Now and Always

May 2020

You are all my heroes. Thank you for all that you have done, are doing, and will continue to do to ensure our students see themselves as doers of mathematics and are empowered to learn mathematics.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to thank each and every teacher for their commitment to their students, encompassing both their learning and their well-being. Representing the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, I especially want to thank those teaching mathematics as you continue to engage students in learning; as you share your passion for mathematics and inspire students; and as you support a focus on sense making and the joy, wonder, and beauty of mathematics.

I was rereading Teaching with Fire (Intrator and Scribner 2003) and was reminded that teaching is a journey. And as Don Shalvey, who was a superintendent when the book was published, wrote,

Teaching is such a journey—a place where our fears are confronted daily and our uncertainty is constantly center stage. We are watched. We are listened to. Students can sense sincerity. They know when we care . . . when we’re prepared . . . when they matter.

This resonates now with me on many levels.

Certainly, we did not expect our journey into teaching and learning mathematics would include COVID-19. Yet here we are. Teachers of mathematics in the United States, Canada, and around the world are working together and planning diligently to make sure our students know we care and to provide, in the best ways we can, opportunities to learn mathematics.

You are all my heroes. I celebrate and honor all of you, not just this week, but every day. I look forward to learning from you and with you as our journeys take us all down both expected and unexpected paths.

Intrator, Sam M., and Megan Scribner, eds. 2003. Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Trena Wilkerson
NCTM President
@TrenaWilkerson