Mining For Hidden Gems

It seems to be socially acceptable, even among educators, to admit that we don’t like math or are not good at it.  I know that none of us would say publicly that we are not good at reading.  We may say we don’t like reading but that does not mean that we can’t read or comprehend a text if it were part of our job.  So why is it all right to say “I hate math!” or “I am not a math person”? If math is problem solving, logical thinking, drawing conclusions, providing proofs, checking for reasonableness and justifying an answer, shouldn’t all of us learn to be good at it?   Can anyone go through life not needing these skills?   Can we afford to treat mathematical thinking as the domain of only a few, if we aim to have a democratic society where every member is contributing his or her share? We are lucky enough to live in an age where the computational part of math can be done using machines, much faster and more accurate.   Machines can also remember ...

Teachers, like gardeners, are in the business of building beauty.  It's a messy job.  You have to get your hands dirty and you never know if or when the seeds you are sowing will sprout.  But we do it for love and we do it to add something positive to this world.  So why is it that we are so stressed out?  Why do we walk around with the weight of the world on our shoulders? We feel under-appreciated and over-worked. And we forget that this is supposed to be the best job in the world!  I know teaching is complex.  But does it have to be so complicated? What does it take to teach effectively and in a way that is fulfilling?  What kind of attitude will get us through the bureaucratic mandates passed down by those who don't really know our kids and the realities of our classrooms?  Is there a critical lens that we can use to evaluate the myriad resources, tips and strategies that are thrown our way? As I was searching for the smallest set of gu...