Beyond the Laughter: Why culture and justice matter in math education
I’d like to delve deeper into one of the characteristics of a just math education: Prioritizing students’ lived experiences, talents, and interests.
As a former math education professor, I made sure my students saw diverse representations of children doing mathematics. This video is one of my favorites—not just because this little guy is charismatic, but because there are some rich mathematical ideas an educator could build upon. Still, the mathematics risks being overlooked. As I watch this brilliant young thinker, I wonder:
Would an educator recognize this child’s mathematical brilliance?
He isn’t just charismatic. He has made a mathematical claim.
What do we “count” as mathematical thinking?
In this context, “broke” refers to quantity. Broke compared to what? What is this child’s threshold for “not being broke”? To make such a claim, he had to quickly calculate the value in his mind. Did he estimate? Add the money mentally? There is much to uncover about his mathematical processes.
Would his mathematical thinking be legitimized and honored?
When I show videos like this, educators are often tickled by the child’s good-natured disposition—but the mathematics is often lost. In those moments of laughter, I wonder: is it his wit, his beautiful Southern accent, his use of African American dialect, or some combination of these that obscures his mathematical thinking for some? In other words, would his brilliance be legitimized in a classroom or other setting?
When working with educators, we often dive deeply into mathematical content. But when I share videos like this, I’m also making other important points about learning:
Math is culturally, socially, and contextually situated.
Students bring multifaceted identities to learning mathematics.
Learning math is a racialized experience.
We don’t leave behind who we are, where we’ve been, and the experiences that shape us when we enter learning environments. This young learner brings his whole self into the mathematics classroom—a child of color, Southern, charismatic, and funny. When we operate from a just place in mathematics education, these facets are not only acknowledged, but honored and leveraged. All of these things matter, even in a world that often pushes us to think otherwise.
In a future blog, I’ll share why considering lived experiences—such as race and ethnicity—matters so deeply in mathematics learning environments.
At TJF Educational Solutions, LLC, we help educators connect with learners from all walks of life. Just mathematics isn’t only about recognizing difference—it’s about allowing students’ lived experiences to lead us into rich mathematical exploration.
Want to learn more? Explore our site and contact us to jumpstart your learning journey!
Abundantly, Exceedingly, Exponentially,
Dr. T
