By Ksenija Simić-Muller

A question I think about a lot when I reflect on my pedagogical practice is What would it mean for students to bring their entire selves to the mathematics classroom? This question is inspired by the work of Rochelle Gutiérrez. In the introduction to the book Rehumanizing Mathematics for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx students, Gutiérrez writes about many ways in which mathematics classrooms can be dehumanizing, while also providing a vision of what rehumanized classrooms could look like. The traits of dehumanized classrooms include increased focus on rule-following and speed; separation of mathematics from the world; the use of tracking and standardized tests to rank, and sort students; and “being asked to leave one’s identity at the door”.

I have thought a lot about this reading since, and I have wondered what it might look like if students did not have to leave their identities at the door, especially if these identities were minoritized. Guitérrez offers some ideas: for example, students would draw on parts of themselves other than logic, and would attend to emotions, including joy. I have been paying attention in my classes to what seems to bring joy to students, when they seem comfortable being themselves, and what they are willing to share. But my own observations only go so far. Gutiérrez points out that we can’t claim that our pedagogy is rehumanizing without seeking evidence from students.  Therefore, I have recently started to ask the students themselves. Last fall, in a class for future K-8 teachers, I posed this as a reflection question: People often say that in math class they feel like they have to leave who they are as people at the door. What would it look like if you were able to bring your whole self to your math class?

I collected 23 responses, most of which were thoughtful and honest, and confirmed Gutiérrez’s observations. For example, three students wrote they would be more creative and lamented that creativity was never emphasized in their mathematics classes. Five mentioned fun, laughter, and being with their friends. For example, one wrote, “I would have my laughter and not be afraid to have fun with math.” Fun was not something that they thought there was room for in math classes.

The most common responses, a total of nine, had to do with feeling comfortable making mistakes and asking questions,  and not having to always look like they knew what they were doing. The students implied that they had to save face in math class, like the student who wrote, “I've had a habit of pretending like I know things and not asking questions to save myself from looking stupid. Bringing my whole self to class would also be bringing curiosity without sacrificing my pride.” This response came both from students who frequently participated in class and those who spoke less. A student who had had especially negative experiences with mathematics wrote,

“[…] I feel like I haven't had the connection with math when I hear that I see myself always leaving the way I was treated while trying to understand math and I still find myself always avoiding answering questions out loud because I always feel like I am wrong. But if I was able to bring my entire self I think I would be more outgoing and Loud and able to feel comfortable to be wrong. “

There may be many reasons that students feel unsafe bringing themselves to our classrooms, and some may have to do with past mathematics learning experiences.

So far, all these responses were in line with what I expected. However, another theme arose that I had not expected: four students reasoned that the part of themselves that wants to be quiet, or work too fast, or talk too much, would not be beneficial to the classroom community and should be left at the door. These students felt that the classroom community and the learning experience for others were more valuable than bringing every aspect of themselves to class, which I appreciated.

I learned a lot from these responses: they confirmed that students want math classes to be enjoyable and that a more humanized mathematics experience would include feeling safe making mistakes. At the same time, students may not be used to being asked questions about themselves as human beings in a math class, and so they did not even consider how their racial, gender, and other identities may or may not be invited into the classroom. Furthermore, some made valuable points about it not being desirable to bring all aspects of themselves to math class. This gives me a lot more to think about, which is always good, especially for a mid-career educator who may have become complacent in their practice. I look forward to learning more from students about what rehumanized mathematics classes might look like for them, and implementing this learning into my teaching.

Ksenija Simić-Muller is a mathematician and mathematics teacher educator at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. She seeks to rehumanize mathematics education for all students.