Articles

Meet Jacqueline Ornelas-Ventura, a student-athlete whose story is a testament to perseverance, passion, and purpose. Known as “Jackie” to her friends and mentors, she is not only excelling academically but also breaking barriers as an immigrant’s daughter striving toward a future in STEM. Her journey is one that captures the essence of what Math Medic…

Math Medic Foundation (MMF) has selected 5 deserving students to help send to college! The Foundation received many applications and these 5 stood out for their determination, work ethic, and desire to make an impact on the world. These students will pursue mathematics and help balance the scales in a field that is still largely…

While we don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves, it’s hard to overstate the importance of first impressions at the beginning of the school year. This is true for nearly every aspect of our classroom, including the strategies and routines we use that impact student perceptions of how equitable our class is. The following strategies…

By Sarah Stecher, Guest Author As a mathematics educator, I care deeply about the work that I do and am passionate about creating positive experiences for students in math class. When I tell other people about my work, I often hear a very similar set of responses, many of which are based on deeply rooted…

Math Medic Foundation is thrilled to showcase our 2024 spring scholarship and grant awardees! All of our recipients have financial need or serve students with financial needs. 70% of our scholarship recipients are female, while 80% are non-white. We are supporting those in need while improving equitable representation in math-related fields. Please read about these deserving students and…

By Dwaina Sookhoo, Guest Author At the end of every school year, I have often felt my mindset shift from “How do I get through this?” to “How did I get through this?” From my first year teaching mathematics, I knew my purpose and drive was to improve the learning experience for my students by…

In his recent book Why Don’t Students Like School?1 cognitive psychologist Dan Willingham recalls a 1969 memory experiment. In it, researchers asked participants to perform different tasks upon hearing lists of words. One group was asked to rate the pleasantness of each word while another group was asked to count the number of times a certain letter, such…

A recent meta-analysis has shed some light on the value of social and emotional learning in schools.1 In the study, published in the journal Sociology of Education, researchers analyzed data on almost a quarter of a million 15-year-olds across 74 countries. The researchers found that poor children tend to lag behind wealthy children in social and…

When we consider how to increase equitable outcomes in the mathematics classroom, it is critical to look at our pedagogy. How we consistently teach our content to students occupies most of our time and shapes our interactions with them. Experience First, Formalize Later (EFFL) is a pedagogical strategy that centers the student in the learning, not the teacher. EFFL means that…

As we work toward increasing equity in our classrooms, two things are likely to occur: First, more of our students will feel comfortable and confident enough to speak up and share their voices. And second, the increase in voices shared will inevitably lead to an increase in differences of opinion and even conflict1. This is a natural…