The Equity Principle in Mathematics

The term "equal" is a common term to students in a math classroom. Equity, "high expectations and strong support for all students" should and is becoming a common term among teachers. Although this concept should be applied to curriculum throughout, this speaks specifically towards mathematics. As I looked at the three points that stood out to me at the end of my readings, I saw a similarity among them. The three dealt with the treatment of children who are seen as "different". Having a soft spot for students/children who come in with uncontrollable setbacks, I constantly brainstorm how to support and help them. I didn't expect to find some answers in an article about Principle of Math. The article stated that students not only should, but must have the opportunity to study. This does not require all children to study the same way though, and that is important to note. The second point I highlighted related to the prior. Teachers need to provide an environment, materials and resources that can be used to accommodate students coming from different backgrounds, such as low-income families, non-English speakers, or students with disabilities. An interesting point was written about the stereotype towards those who have, for lack of better words, "math-brains"; those who people assume will succeed in math verses those whom it seems impossible. The authors compared this to our push for the importance of high literacy and verbal rates in the English Language. We set a high standard for that, why not for math? Are we setting our students, children up for failure because we don't give all students equal expectations and goals? Just as every child with a set-back is different, students even in a mainstream classroom are different. They learn, listen, think, discover, brainstorm and problem solve differently, and it is up to the teacher to learn and try to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their students to better adapt a subject that has such a negative pre-notion.