In the past year, I have found a new favorite book, “Math For Human Flourishing” by Francis Su. This remarkable book asked a poignant question: “Shouldn’t just smart people do math?” As a person who has chosen math as a career, I struggled to answer this type of question. Maybe you have heard that question too? It comes in different forms: When will I ever use this? But I’m not a math person! Is higher math really necessary for everyone?
These questions, musing, and complaints all come from similar place – is math good for me? The answer is a resounding yes! Learning math makes us more fully human. This is a compelling and powerful statement. (A full defense of this idea can be found in the book.) But with that lofty assumption, what does this look like on the classroom level? What does teaching from that belief lead to? How should this belief impact choices for curriculum, standards, and classes?
As our school has grown and developed, we have both old and new ways to embody our love of The Good in mathematics.
For example:
We strive to have a consistent philosophy and practice in how we teach math at The Academy. As we finish this school year, join me in celebrating the current practices and future options to live out the goodness in mathematics.