Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1476161
Help Students Form Positive Math Identities STEAM develops skills for students to be innovators By Tiffany Jokerst "I am not good at math." "No one in my family is good at math, math just isn't in my blood." These are common phrases that students say when walking into my classroom the first week of school. Math is a subject that students often feel they are either capable of excelling in, or not. Some feel that math is an inherited trait passed from generation to generation, much like hair or eye color. I became a math teacher to change this narrative and help students form positive math identities. When students walk into my class they are greeted with the latest data and graphic on the cost of owning an electric versus a gas-powered car over time. Students begin their group conversations before the bell rings as they share their observations. The conversations are rich, and students are excited to share their creative approaches in making sense of the math presented to them. Students begin to build confidence when they find that their contributions to mathematical conversation are valued. Every student voice is not only valued, but essential to the class discussion. In adopting this method of teaching, I have watched apprehensive math students who have built nega- tive math identities bloom into optimistic learners who feel confident in their math skills. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education is a project-based method of teaching that aims to incite a life- long love of sciences and arts. In a STEAM education approach, students become innova- tors in the classroom and work as a community to tackle real-world issues and showcase their creative solutions to their peers through collab- oration and communication. In recognizing the need for a more diverse pool of future workers entering STEAM fields, this new approach to teaching centers on creating a rich educational experience for all students. In the ever-changing, complex world that we live in, it is increasingly important to equip students with the skills needed to be innovators. To achieve this, teachers must be innovators as well. Methods of direct instruction and com- pleting problems from a textbook need to be replaced with lessons that promote inquiry and investigation. As I begin this new year in teaching, I intend to con- tinue to be innovative in my approach to teaching and provide more opportunities for my students to feel suc- cessful in math. California Teacher of the Year Tiffany Jokerst is a high school math and engineering educator and member of Grossmont Education Association. Communicating Without Words Leading with love to build connections with students with disabilities By Sovantevy "Sovey" Long-Latteri Communication is innate and gives us the power to connect with others, verbally and nonverbally. Without the ability to make basic connections with others, students may become frus- trated and act out with resentment. As a teacher of students with severe disabilities, I witness this daily. Here are some strategies I've found to be worthwhile and effective in working with students who are mostly nonverbal: Offer a language-rich environment. Use words to describe your actions and identify items by their correct name. Model communication by demonstrating purposeful and meaningful inter- actions with your peers — students are always watching, listening and gleaning. Offer oppor- tunities for students to make choices to help them make their preferences known. Give students time to commu- nicate in their preferred modality before offering suggestions. Offer words of encour- agement and say things like "take your time, what you have to share is important to me." These simple words and kind gestures show respect and validate efforts. Create memories. With permission, take pictures of students engaging in various activ- ities. Discuss images with each student to genuinely and authen- tically connect and reconnect with students. You can also use these visu- als to represent options for students so TIP: TIP: 22 cta.org