Jessica FR Mirch Checklist
Knowledge Construction: To what extent does this lesson/lessons/unit offer students the opportunity to make sense of the mathematics for themselves?
- Making sure the lesson builds on prior math knowledge
- Allowing for multiple solution strategies
- Accepting culturally varied explanations & justifications in class
- Sharing intellectual authority with the students
- Teaching to different levels of language proficiency
- Motivating students by showing excitement in the subject matter
- Discussing the evolution of our math concepts/numerals
Prejudice Reduction: To what extent does the lesson/lessons/unit offer students opportunities to break stereotypes; develop more democratic attitudes, values & behaviors?
- Allow students engage in pair/group work
- Including girls as well as boys in questioning and participation
- Including all ethnic groups equally in questioning and participation
- Make group configurations include a mix of ethnicities
- Encourage respect for everyone's ideas
- Make sure everyone has the opportunity to contribute
- Reinforce each student's self-esteem by giving sincere and specific-praise, using positive adjectives, and by showing respect, trues - understanding, acceptance and warmth
- Making sure each child experiences recognized success daily
- Treating all students equitably and conveying my expectations and confidence that each student can accomplish work and learn
- Serving as a role model by showing sensitivity and flexibility towards the special needs of others
- Being aware of the learning styles of different cultures
Equity Pedagogy: To what extent are my instructional practices designed to improve the achievement of all students regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, exceptionality, or class?
- Activities that make high cognitive demands on the students
- Activities include a mixture of relevant, real world, and abstract contexts
- Activities encourage the use of multiple representations
- Expect both oral & written discourse
- Using the whole language approach (incorporating listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities)?
- Displaying bulletin boards reflecting cultural diversity
- Safe environments where rules are posted so students clearly understand what is and is not acceptable behavior
- Develop a classroom library that reflects cultural diversity
References: Checklist is adapted from several sources. The three heading-level topics of effective multicultural mathematics are from the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics). The checklist includes NCTM guiding questions and other sources referenced here: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3