Bringing Identities into the Classroom

By Ksenija Simić-Muller A question I think about a lot when I reflect on my pedagogical practice is What would it mean for students to bring their entire selves to the mathematics classroom? This question is inspired by the work of Rochelle Gutiérrez. In the introduction to the book Rehumanizing Mathematics for Black, Indigenous, and...

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What Are You Curious About?

By Lew Ludwig What are you curious about? This is not a question we often pose to students on the first day of class. Typically, I might outline the overall goals of the course: to develop analytical abilities, hone problem-solving skills, and learn to communicate arguments clearly and succinctly. If pressed, I could list specific...

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Being Brown in Higher Education

By Roberto Hernandez  While it is a great privilege to be a PhD student at a private research university, I can’t help but reflect on the various disadvantages and adversity I experienced as a first-generation Mexican-American from a low-income city. Based on my upbringing, I barely even attended college because of the lack of resources...

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How did human beings acquire the ability to do mathematics?

By Keith Devlin @KeithDevlin@fediscience.org, @profkeithdevlin.bsky.social How (and when) did human beings acquire the ability to do mathematics? Someone raised that question at the end of a workshop I participated in just before Christmas. It’s a question that has nagged me ever since Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene (1976) made me aware of just how...

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What Math Values?

By David Neel So, what am I doing here? It’s a good question. I haven’t been the most regular MAA dues-payer, I haven’t preserved my mathematical network anywhere near as well as many of my colleagues. (I do miss you all, friends, and hope to reconnect.) But that’s also part of the answer: a friend,...

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The Math Community – Our Extended Family

By Julie Barnes At first glance, one might expect the math community and extended academic community to simply be a great place to go to for advice directly related to our careers. But in the past two years, I have discovered that it is far more than that.  I’m in that season of my life...

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It’s Not Forever: Moving Math Students from a Fixed to a Growth Mindset

By Ruth Lane In 2007, psychologist Carol Dweck wrote Mindset: The New Psychology of Success and explained that some people believe that their success is innate and cannot be changed, known as a fixed mindset. However, other people have adopted what’s known as a growth mindset. They believe that their success is due to hard...

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My Dream Classroom

By Tim Chartier When I entered graduate school, my dream was to be a college professor. After over two decades of teaching higher education, I still dream—largely about my classroom. I read MAA periodicals, attend meetings, and read MAA Connect and find that I incrementally move toward that dream classroom. My dream classroom isn’t achieved...

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Rosie the Cat and the Meaning of Identity

By Tori Noquez This is Rosie. Rosie was rescued as a two week old kitten and was not expected to survive. The family who rescued her have huskies named Lilo and Infinity. Lilo nursed her to health and she grew up to be a strong healthy cat. And now Rosie and her huskies are inseparable....

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Selected Data from the 2021 CBMS Survey, Part II

By David Bressoud @dbressoud This month’s column starts a new practice of coming out on the third Tuesday of the month. Last month I presented data from the 2021 CBMS survey about departments offering four-year undergraduate programs. This month I am presenting some comparable data about two-year colleges, but I am also comparing what has...

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