I Just Wanted to Teach Kids Math

A poem shouted by Shraddha Shirude

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It’s nearly spring, which means high-stakes standardized testing season in K–12 schools. Arguably, math is the most soul crushingly affected by these less than useless (racist and harmful) practices. For history, context, and outcomes, read any of Dr. Wayne Au’s scholarship on the subject.

Fortunately, students can be opted out of these tests with a simple email or phone call. Check out the resources WAESN has curated to support opting out, including opt out form letters translated to various languages commonly spoken in Seattle-area schools and WAESN’s Board Vice President and author of this month’s blog post, Shraddha Shirude, speaking on how standardized testing harms math education.

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I just wanted to teach kids math

So they could see how cool math is

And appreciate it

But how could they when it’s all just digits (letters) that make numbers (words) that make equations (sentences) they’ve never heard, seen, or used and never will again

Meaningless. 

I just wanted to teach kids math 

So they could see how poems are math

And feel the math flow 

But how could they when it’s all disjointed rules with nothing to bring them together

Purposeless.

I just wanted to teach kids math

So they could spot a lie from a mile away

And never let anyone manipulate their minds

But how could they when all they’ve been taught is to manipulate their variables and lie about their understanding to pass a class

Deception.

I just wanted to teach kids math

So they could learn about their own minds

And be the reason for their success 

But how could they when their success was measured by a test and their minds limited by the highest score possible

Controlled.

Is this what math is? Meaningless, purposeless, deception, and control?

If I could just teach math

They would learn about their own minds

And be the reason for their success

I’d challenge them to walk me through their journey and ask them what’s next

Boundless 

If I could just teach math 

They would understand what makes a lie

And dismantle the systems that tried to manipulate them

I’d teach them proofs of the world that control the human mind and ask them what’s next

Criticality

If I could just teach math

We would play with rhythm and harmony 

And find the numbers within our hearts

I’d teach them of the histories of these numbers we play with and ask them what’s next

Creativity

If I could just teach math

I would help students to see why learning is the most joyous thing you can do 

And how thinking is the most human of endeavors there ever was

Our class would ebb & flow however we pleased, only our whims would guide us, only our own minds could assess us

Humanity

This is what math is, boundless, critical, creative, human.

In the meantime, I must go back to work, where I teach course code HMA2692/4.

Shraddha Shirude is the Board Vice President of Washington Ethnic Studies Now and a math educator and department head at Cleveland STEM High School in Seattle.