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Case: Math and Social Justice! No No!
Recently, I read a report in a national magazine on income levels of different groups of people in the US. The report especially featured income differences between males, females and different ethnic groups. Some of the statistics were very disturbing. For example, women holding the same job as men with same number of years in the job made considerably less money in most of the states. Differences between ethnic groups were even more disturbing. I decided to use these data in my math class with my 5th graders in a lesson on graphing. The purpose was for the students to be able to interpret graphs and create graphs using the information provided. Students enjoyed the lesson and learned some social justice lessons. Apparently a lot of my students talked to their parents about what they had learned in class when they went home. I received notes from about 10 parents the next day simply indicating that what I taught in my math class would lead to hatred among my students and that I should not be wasting their children's valuable time. Rather, they suggested, I should teach math with no controversial materials. I completely disagree with them and I plan to use similar materials in my other courses as well. However, my principals asked me to send an explanation to those parents. I know my explanation will not stop the complaints. How should I go about this potentially long battle? Or should I take the short cut simply remove such content from my lessons?
Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!)
You should by no means remove content like this from your lessons. It's sad that so few teachers teach social injustice issues that when one does, it shocks parents. Every student's education should be a multicultural one, one that makes them aware of and advocates of social issues. This is just one of the many battles you will encounter in your experience as a teacher, but it one of the most important and one you should not waver on. Start including in your syllabus at the beginning of the year some type of blurb about how your content area is math, but this focus is supplemented with real world issues that will prepare students to become educated, well-rounded global citizens. Create a sort of "mission statement" about your beliefs of education and any research that would support these beliefs. You could then have this on hand to give to any students that question your instruction practices. |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is original |
Yes
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| Comments: |
| Rated On: June 19, 2014 1:30 am |
| Rated By: wendy burns |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
|
| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is original |
Yes
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| Comments: I agree with this solution. |
| Rated On: October 9, 2020 8:55 pm |
| Rated By: vaMuvy |
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