Learning Together
September 2024

I had the opportunity to represent NCTM this summer at the International Congress of Mathematics Education (ICME) in Sydney, Australia. This is a quadrennial event that brings mathematics educators from around the world together for a week full of sharing and learning. As I reflected on my participation and time there, I was continually struck by the focus on learning together rather than learning from experts. The program was structured to reflect this focus on collaboration and learning together.

I was amazed by the range of perspectives from those present. Some attendees identified themselves as primarily PK-12 classroom teachers, while others identified primarily as a 2-year postsecondary mathematics educator, 4-year university mathematics educator, mathematics education researcher, mathematics education professional developer, district level mathematics administrator, or district or state administrator. No matter the role, we came together and learned with each other. I recognized that each participant brought a unique perspective and that through these multiple perspectives we can better meet the needs of our students. I didn’t sense that some viewpoints were more valued or credible than others based on the role the speaker played in mathematics education. Not once did I hear “I’m just a classroom teacher,” a comment I hear unfortunately too often at other conferences and events.

Too often, conferences and other events focus on a particular role. Mathematics education researchers convene, or mathematics teachers gather, or 4-year university mathematics educators gather. We need to continually look for and create opportunities for all mathematics educators to gather and learn with each other. One of the reasons I’m excited for the upcoming NCTM Annual Meeting is that the Research Conference will be held simultaneously and allow all attendees to participate in both conferences. Research should inform practice, but practice also should inform research.

In addition to learning with attendees from a wide range of professional roles, at ICME I noted the learning together with attendees from all over the world. I left Australia with a greater appreciation that mathematics educators from around the world are wrestling with some of the same issues in meeting the needs of students. For example, many are focused on how to make instruction more relevant for students. While some issues may be more local, most are global. Over the past two years as NCTM President, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with many classroom teachers and district leaders from around the United States. I’ve noted that often most are working to address the same problems, and many think it’s only their district or region facing a particular challenge. We need to create opportunities to learn together with those from around the country and from around the world that we can share ideas and successes.

We recognize the need for students to collaborate with each other in learning new content. We recognize the need for grade-level classroom teachers to collaborate with each other to better meet student needs. We also need to consider how best to collaborate with those from other professional mathematics education roles and with those from other states and countries. It is through our collective and collaborative efforts that we learn with each other how to better meet the needs of our students.

As I conclude my final President’s Message, I want to thank you for learning with me these past two years. Thanks to all the NCTM members and the broader mathematics education community for all you do in continually looking for new ways to better meet the needs of students. Thanks to all who have shared their stories, their challenges, and their successes with me. Thanks to the many of you who were so gracious in providing time for Zoom meetings with me to help me learn about so many different topics. Thanks to those who willingly volunteered time to be part of writing teams or small group discussions. Thanks to NCTM’s Board of Directors for the many hours you spent learning with me and thinking about how to better meet the needs of students. Thanks to the outstanding NCTM staff for all your hard work and putting the vision of the Board into action. Thanks, especially, to Ken Krehbiel, NCTM’s Executive Director, for sharing your insight and wisdom as we talked through many ideas and situations over these past two years.

I’m looking forward to supporting Latrenda Knighten as she takes over as President at the end of the month. I’m confident we’ll all benefit from her wisdom, her leadership, and from her experiences!

Kevin Dykema
NCTM President
@kdykema