Oct 3: Entrance Slip

In classrooms, learning math can often feel more like acquiring a new language than studying a scientific discipline. This perception arises because of the extensive library of terms, notations, and syntactical structures in the field. I believe the primary purpose of scientific and mathematical terminology is to articulate clear and accurate communication of processes, findings, and relationships through consistent methods. Additionally, these terms tend to be universal. As a result, students from diverse cultures often share experiences with mathematical concepts, which can serve as a bridge for communication in new environments.

However, I have noticed that scientific and mathematical approaches can reflect colonial biases. Our discussions on math history have highlighted misrepresentations of non-Western contributions and a lack of acknowledgment of cultural contexts. Thus, I am committed to incorporating a more accurate representation of diverse cultures and indigenizing my teaching methods in the classroom. I wonder how this may be done in a balanced way such that the indigenizing does not seem forced or separate from the curriculum.

Inspired by Kimmerer’s insights, one approach may be to emphasize the living environment beyond just human experiences in my lessons. Kimmer points out that the English language often overlooks the distinctions between living and non-living. With our increasing reliance on technology, it has also become easy to disconnect from the greater-than-human world. By indigenizing my classroom, I can encourage students to understand their relationship with nature and the ecosystem. I may do this by regularly adding elements of nature into my lessons. Furthermore, I could design problems that address culturally relevant issues, such as land measurements and natural cycles, and incorporate storytelling. By exposing students to diverse outlooks, they may reflect on their cultural norms, like Kimmerer, and develop a deeper understanding of their place within the natural world.