Ethnomatematics and time

The additional article from Bonnie that highlights an interview regarding Ethnomathematics is quite weighty, a lot to think about. After reading it I decided to begin thinking about one small part of the article as it relates to my classroom. An earlier area of exploration in our blogs encompassed creating a math climate. On page 99 of the last from Bonnie article Milton speaks of “a broader view of mathematics, which embraces ideas, processes, methods, and practices that are related to different cultural environments.” When I read this comment the word embraces rang in my head. The math climate or, for that matter overall classroom climate is optimal when the students thinking, ideas, processes are embraced. When we meet student where they are with prior knowledge we create a culture, yes, a community of learning in which children feel valued, therefore safe to take risks and share their thinking.
We, all at some point in our teaching careers, struggle with the demands of insuring that the curriculum benchmarks (MLR’s) are met, and that we expose our students to the concept strands of our math programs. After reading this article and reflecting on my various experiences teaching, includes those experiences with ELL’s, I found myself thinking about time and how it can be used to enhance a math lesson (any lesson). There was another comment in the article by Ubi that I found myself thinking about. “It is natural, in the view of many educators, that by making children happy and at the same time building a recognition and respect for other cultures, there is a concern for losing ‘precious’ instructional time, which could be used [for] teaching mechanical techniques.” I wish I had some profound insight to share about the use of time and building an embracing community that supports a positive learning climate for all areas of learning including math. What I can say is that creating an embracing environment is one of the professional growth areas to which I feel strongly committed at this point in my life as a teacher. Sylvia Ashton-Warner said it best, “But I must do what I believe in or nothing at all. Life’ so short.”
There are several books that guide my thinking and planning in my classroom, and support me on my journey:

TEACHING CHILDREN TO CARE Management in the Responsive classroom
By Ruth Charney

SERIOUS PLAY IN THE PRIMARY CLASSROOM Empowering Children
Through Active Learning Experiences
By Selma Wasserman

MORAL CLASSROOMS, MORAL CHILDREN Creating a Constructivist
Atmosphere in Early Education
By Rheta DeVries & Betty Zan

DEVELOPING CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE A Guide for Working
With Young Children and Their Families
By Eleanor W. Lynch & Marci J. Hanson

THE MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE Helping Refugees Enter The American
Community
By Mary Pipher
TONGUE-TIED The Lives of Multilingual Children in Public Education
Edited By Otto Santa Ana

It is a juggling act for sure balancing time with the diverse needs of our students. How do you approach diversity in your classroom as it relates to math and beyond?