Thread by @mathillustrated

Awesome article! And: take just about every single thing written about the coaching and learning of sports here, and hit ‘find/replace’ for math, and you have more of the full picture of what’s going on with #math instruction.

I’ll elaborate some parallels here: “Strict, militaristic discipline and authoritarian power with frequent outbursts of screaming and cursing” — “Strict, “get it right the first time” focus, authoritarian pedagogies with direct and indirect messages that demoralize students

“Winning at all costs” — increasing test scores at all costs

You make sense of your story so you can help others with theirs. You start to see people as people, instead of just players.” —“You make sense of your story so you can help others with theirs. You start to see people as people, instead of just data points.”

#Math instruction has often served to rank, sort, demoralize & exclude. Educators have been learning to look at the whole picture (which includes teaching the necessary basic skills) in ways that can make math classes look very different from those we are accustomed to.

When I read “Generations of student athletes have endured tough, humiliating, sometimes abusive coaching practices in middle and high school, usually at the hands of coaches who themselves endured the same practices as students.” I said, yeah that’s what math ed is like for many.

“And even those who didn’t face humiliation often describe an atmosphere where their self-worth was entirely wrapped up in their performance on the field or the court.” Yup, that’s math education.

“Winning, of course, is always the goal, and tough, direct feedback will always be part of improving team outcomes, but groups like NCC say that how teams get there is as important as the numbers on the scoreboard.” YES. This is what many are saying about math ed.

Still right and wrong answers, still feedback, still tests, but maybe different ones, and with care to how we get there. Treating students as individuals with contexts, cultures, and learning capabilities that they bring to class.

Recognizing that “fully explaining” is but a part of what must be done. I can link out to what groups like @todosmath have been noticing and speaking out about for years.

“vulnerable coaches seeking to give players a more humane, meaningful experience in sports” — teachers more sensitive to students’ ideas, to their thinking and reasoning, and giving students a more humane experience with learning math.

Too often students are dehumanized. They are asked to decontextualize, throw out their own ideas, and put their questions and interests on hold. A humane experience is one that more deliberately connects #math to the worlds that the students live in.

“Sports are emotional, and as a coach you are witness to that, you are an adult helping young players navigate strong feelings. You have influence over them, for better or worse.” —

Learning math involves emotion. As a teacher you are witness to that, you are an adult helping young students navigate strong feelings about their self worth and capabilities. You have influence over them, for better or worse.

Just experienced (for the 1000th time in 30 years) someone tell me “I wish my math teacher taught us like that”: that is, with feeling, caring, and meaning, which are so easy to leave out in the math classroom with the rush to the next learning standard.

“The idea is to move coaches from a “transactional” sports model to one that’s “transformational”. OMG exactly this for #math #education #ITeachMath

“Children can be diminished and discouraged by their sports math experience, or they can be strengthened, uplifted, and even in some cases redeemed”. THIS is what so many of us have been pointing to. And have been ridiculed for, because “math is math” 🙄

“Sports can be a life-changing experience if coaches understand why they are coaching and redefine their measurement of success.”  I guess coaches might be ridiculed for this too. But it’s real, and important. and it goes the same for #math #education

Wow, this:
So much similar to what is written about excellent mathematics teaching from groups like @NBPTS

The parallels just keep coming: “So competencies like relationship skills and self-awareness are woven into the curriculum and seem to be a natural fit for the emotion inherent in competitive sports”

This is exactly what is being attacked by DeSantis and his ilk when it comes to school instruction in math and other subjects. Just saw an amazing play this weekend with @ValeriaBrownEdu where young people called out the folly of #teaching that ignores relationships.

“another shares how hard it is to cut a tearful 15-year-old from his women’s softball team, but he’s finding better ways to communicate with them”. Yes, people get “cut” from math all the time. It’s still like our main theme in #math ed…

…despite years of developing ways to encourag more people to join into #math #education and its joys and opportunities. But we are still a building with a big heavy doors that sometimes even say “don’t bother trying to open it”. Some will still get “cut”

From the “pro” team, but we want them to continue to play recreationally latter, and to have developed virtues (as @mathyawp discusses) from the experience

There are very direct parallels here, @HKorbey: “Most student athletes leave sports altogether by age 11, many saying, “It’s just not fun anymore,” and experts say a big reason for that is that most youth sports coaches receive little or no training in child development.”

And wow: this is what we’re saying about equity + excellence in #math “Experts say that investing in student well-being doesn’t mean teams stop having high expectations of players”

“—in fact, research shows that students who feel good about themselves and are connected to their team perform better.” And indeed it does!

“If you are exhausted, overtrained, or afraid of your coach, you are not at your highest capacity,” she said. “Your performance might be good, but it’s not as good as it could be if you were in excellent mental health.”

so to conclude, this applies directly to math instruction in schools. And there are other reasons beyond those why students feel unwelcome in math class.

I think you’ll be interested in this (lengthy) thread @MathTeacherJH @Sneffleupagus