Mathematics Pedagogical Teaching Philosophy

My mathematics pedagogical teaching philosophy will have significant implications for

how my students succeed in their education and career attainment. Throughout this analysis of

my philosophy, I have realized that my own experiences will also undoubtedly shape how my

students view mathematics.

My conceptualization of teaching for justice is aligned with the sociocultural stance due

to my own experiences. The sociocultural stance posits that math knowledge cannot be separated

from context. Consequently, mathematics education is inherently a “socio-cultural activity” that

privileges those in the dominant culture or those in power. The idea that social constructs are

inherent in mathematics parallels my own experience. I strongly believe that social constructs

about my gender influenced the mathematics education I received and the messages that adults

shared with me. For example, my parents and teachers often praised my socio-emotional skills

over my mathematics skills, and I had no female mathematics role models in my education.

I would like the sociocultural conceptualization of mathematics to be present in my

practice in two distinct ways. Within my pedagogy, I would like to incorporate the sociocultural

conceptualization by questioning and rewriting my mathematic examples and problems. This

analysis will push me to question who I am representing and who I am leaving out. In my

interactions with students, I would also like to adopt the sociocultural conceptualization by

encouraging my students to let me know when my teaching is not culturally relevant or is biased.

By critiquing my teaching, students will have agency to own their learning and create a more just

world. Although this pedagogy is still hypothetical, I hope to create a classroom environment

where all students feel that they can succeed at math in a context that is relevant and meaningful.

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 Although my K-12 math education focused on the bag of tools approach, my

mathematics pedagogy philosophy reflects a dynamic, problem driven view. The dynamic,

problem driven view asserts that patterns are constructed into knowledge, and problem posing

must be at the heart of mathematics education. I will adopt this approach because it is closely

linked to growth mindset. When students view mathematics are dynamic and problem driven,

they are more likely to persist in solving complex problems because there are multiple ways to

arrive at an answer. For the past three weeks, I have been a substitute paraprofessional for a 5th

grade student with autism. I have observed how his mathematics teacher uses this approach to

encourage my student to use higher order, dynamic thinking. I hope to adopt this approach in my

classroom to help all students view mathematics as attainable and problem-based.

In my teaching practice, I would like to adopt a cognitivism approach, specifically

through the social-cultural-historical discipline. The social-cultural-historical approach views

children as the driving force behind constructing their realities. By adopting this approach, a

teacher can build mathematics knowledge by building from students’ prior knowledge and

experiences. I would like the social-cultural-historical approach to be present in my teaching by

intertwining different subject disciplines into mathematics. By incorporating different subjects, I

hope to give students a concrete, real-world understanding of mathematics. In my professional

experience as a STEM Education Advisor, I worked with the Maker Education movement, which

encourages students to create objects that have meaning (for example, a mini-library or a water

filter for their communities). As a result, students have a deeper understanding of mathematics

and science. By applying these same principles to my classroom, I hope to help students

construct their mathematics knowledge in a way that matches their lived experiences.