What Are Classroom Practices That Support Equity-Based Mathematics Teaching?
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Current mathematics education research is used to frame equity-based teaching practices through three lenses useful for building one's teaching: reflecting , noticing , and engaging in community .
Reflecting . Equity-based teaching requires a substantial amount of reflection, which involves not just reflecting on your pedagogy and your classroom norms, but also considering how you identify yourself and how others identify you (Crockett, 2008; Gutiérrez, 2013b; Walshaw, 2010).
Noticing . Noticing generally refers to paying attention to students' mathematical thinking (Jacobs, Lamb, & Philipp, 2010), yet it is a crucial skill for equity-based teaching; noticing helps teachers pay attention to how students position and identify themselves and each other (Wager, 2014).
Engaging in Community . Community engagement is powerful, in all aspects of teaching. While there are many ways to engage in your multiple communities, we highlight two specific communities here: your classroom and your teaching community.
Equity-based mathematics teaching requires more than implementing new curriculum or using specific practices because it involves taking a stand for what is right. It requires mathematics teachers to reflect on their own identity, positions, and beliefs in regards to racist and sorting-based mechanisms. It involves noticing students, learning about the worlds they live in, and building mathematics that comes from these worlds. And finally, it involves engaging other educators in partnerships to build equity-oriented communities.
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