What if We’ve Been Teaching Mathematics All Wrong?

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Full disclosure. Fawn Nguyen is one of my favorite people. I met her last year at the MN Math Leaders and MDE Fall Kick-Off. After just a few minutes, I felt like I’d known her forever. She is just that lovely. When I heard she would be the keynote at the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference in Duluth, I was beyond thrilled.

(Picture: Me last fall fan-girling at MDE event.)

Her presentation, “What If We’ve Fawn Has Been Teaching Mathematics All Wrong?” had me at the edge of my seat, one minute laughing joyfully, the next my heart was being torn apart as she talked about the failing of our children. In looking back at my tweets, there were 500 things that resonated with me.

1. We need to challenge every student with rich tasks that provide opportunities for deep thinking.  A culture of problem solving and perseverance where students’ thinking is celebrated allows all students to show up as mathematicians.

2. Ask better questions in order to get to deep thinking AND have your students ask questions. Fawn shared how the person asking the questions is the one with the authority. What a wonderful way to share space and power!

3. Learn what it means to be a learner of color. We can fix this so every child in school can thrive.

4. Make the learning social. Get kids talking more and as the teacher, we need to talk less. Listen to what students have to say as we confer in literacy, we need to do the same in mathematics.

5. Always be a learner and truly care about the problems. Maintain your curiosity, commitment, and collaboration as being stuck in a problem is such a gift. How wonderful our classrooms are where this was celebrated as a part of the learning.

If you want to learn more with Fawn, you can follow her on Twitter at @fawnpnguyen, check out her website, Visual Patterns, Math Talks  and Between 2 Numbers.

Laura Wagenman

Staff Development Assessment Specialist

Cedar Island, Edinbrook, and Rice Lake Elementary