In this session, Dr. Adams will address the issue of “mattering.” Think about it: we really only invest the best of ourselves in the things that matter the most to us. This applies to our personal lives as well as to other parts of our lives, such as our roles in educating the nation’s children. What are the characteristics of one who shows understanding that mattering makes a difference for students? First, students have to matter. Not the student ID number in the school, district, and state records, but the student, the person, the child that belongs to someone. Secondly, that which we want students to learn—the content, the skill, the application—that has to matter so that we give attention to critical content that leads to a productive and literate society (noting literacy in broad terms such as print literacy, mathematical literacy). Finally, how we empower teachers to engage in their craft—the pedagogy, the ways of assessing students' learning, providing space for success for each and every student, making adjustments in a COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 context—matters.
Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Florida College of Education (COE)