“As a math teacher, I am responsible for making placement recommendations for my students’ next math classes. I struggle between knowing that these placements can cause math anxiety and feelings of being “not smart enough,” but I also know that certain students are ready for these classes that offer more depth and challenges. I guess my question is: how do we make sure all students are getting what they need academically while also making sure other students aren’t feeling “othered” or left behind? Of course, if all teaching programs included courses on differentiation, this would be less of a struggle.”

-Math Teacher, Ohio

First, a turn to a thought in better.

“It is not my job to create win-lose situations in the classroom. That’s an unintended consequence of a system that lost sight–I believe–of its original noble goal: educate our youth.” –from better: A Teacher’s Journey (p. 343)

Next, an honest–but vexing–admission to your important question: We don’t.

We don’t avoid such things, as long…

As long as we continue our obligatory obedience to the institutional insistence that we rank, sort, and label kids.

I know that’s not the answer you wanted. Trust me, it’s not the answer I wanted to give, especially given my “saber-rattling” response in the opening.

So, is it just bluster, then? 

Not necessarily, for I am speaking of something beyond the job. I am speaking of a sacred charge to help humans. And for that, we may, indeed, need to dare different and brave better.

Maybe instead of taking math to take more math, kids should take math to experience math for the sake of learning math.

Someday, maybe, we’ll see that learning (any content) is an experience.

~sy