“When am I ever going to use this?”
“Just tell me how to do it.”
“This isn’t going to be on the test.”
A challenge we may face when we teach for conceptual understanding is student pushback. Many students expect math class to be about memorizing and repeating procedures. Students can be invested in traditional ways of teaching and learning. They may conflate succeeding in math with succeeding in a traditional classroom even if that model has not worked for them, has led them to hate math, or has convinced them that they are not good at it.
Although this can be discouraging, student resistance is important to building trust and can be an opportunity to build community.
In this workshop, we will discuss how to respond to resistance from a place of empathy and look at how math can be a tool for identifying and disrupting the effects of racism.
- HSE/ABE generalists who teach math
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
We will discuss what we often hear from students. We will then dig in to what is going on for students when they resist and how that understanding can inform our response. We will introduce and practice using a frame for receiving and responding to resistance.
We will also look at research on implicit bias and consider its implication on our classroom practice.
Please note: About a week before the event, you will receive a separate email from the SABES Math team at TERC (sherry_soares@terc.edu) with instructions on how to access the Zoom session.
- Facilitate an expanded Notice/Wonder routine
- Reflect on our authority and our biases in the classroom
- Be prepared to hear and respond to student resistance
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
United States
