The Unhushed Classroom
摘要
This chapter examines how mathematics teachers can prioritize equity, inclusion, and student voice in their classroom. It encourages educators to unhush their mathematics classrooms by fostering environments where culturally relevant teaching practices center students’ learning. In this chapter, we explore Pamela Seda and Kyndall Brown’s (2021) framework for equity in the math classroom, the ICUCARE framework, and its application through strategies suitable for primary, junior, and intermediate mathematics education. The ICUCARE framework offers a structured approach, ensuring all students see themselves as capable mathematicians. Unhushing culturally relevant pedagogies in math education requires disrupting deficit discourses and promoting equity. We begin by exploring number concepts at the primary level and model how teachers can release control and sustain high expectations by empowering students to be sense makers rather than replicating memorized procedures, which exacerbates the achievement gap that disproportionately impacts marginalized students. We highlight ways to foster positive collaborative learning environments that promote all learners’ potential. Throughout the chapter, we encourage teachers to strive to be critically conscious by intentionally examining and dismantling structures or stereotypes that contributes to learners’ low agency and negative mathematical identities. We illustrate ways that intermediate learners benefit from continued opportunities to develop a conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts through concrete and representational opportunities before abstract strategies. Overall, it is recommended that the implementation of the ICUCARE framework can create mathematics classrooms that prioritize equity, inclusion, and voices from equity-deserving groups through unhushed teaching practices.