District math leaders Marni Driessen, Lisa Holland and Anthony Moss of Omaha Public Schools presented on Sept. 28 at the NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition in Los Angeles.
Approximately 60 participants walked away from their presentation ready to help their students feel a sense of belonging in their math classrooms. The session focused on how to make math meaningful to students, how to talk to them and about them as mathematicians, and how to get them talking to each other productively. The four practices shared included teaching social skills, accepting and acknowledging student responses, assessing student interests, and establishing an inclusive classroom culture.
Their talk, "A Place of Belonging," aimed at grades 3-5, had the following abstract: Math is for everyone; therefore, students should feel a sense of belonging in the classroom. In this session, we will suggest easy-to-implement teaching practices that support a diverse student population. Creating an inclusive environment takes intentional decision-making, which will be at the heart of these fundamental practices.
"It was wonderful to spend time with teachers and leaders who are committed to creating a warm, nurturing math classroom for all students," Driessen said. "The energy in the room was contagious."
Driessen and Holland are both graduates of the Primarily Math program.