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This is an excerpt from a discussion that took place on the Women & Literacy listserv from June 19-30, 2006.
To view the complete discussion compilation, click here.
6. Silence
Questions:
Can you talk a little bit about how you move these women from quiet observers of your instruction to active participants who actually take initiative and offer suggestions for solving math problems? Also, do you have any suggestions for dealing with their wrong answers- ways that will not return them to their silence?
Discussion:
6A. In my observation, some women who have survived violence in their past or are dealing with it in their present, have learned not to express an opinion, because they have not been allowed to have opinions, or have had dire consequences to expressing an opinion.
Yet, you cannot do math without expressing an opinion. "I think ________ would be the best way to tackle this problem." "I'm going to move the decimal two places to the right." "The answer is ___." Such women are caught -- if they are to do math, they must jettison a survival tactic that has served them well. As an instructor, I have to take this into consideration as I teach math -- I cannot just expect women to jump in.
6B. I notice out loud that sitting back is a strategy that works in some places, but is usually less fruitful in math classes. I acknowledge that I am asking them to do something difficult ( i.e., be more active), but that I am confident that they can do it and I am confident it will make a difference in their ability to learn math. I notice and encourage very small steps they take, and get them to talk about how/why/what they are feeling as they work in math. I teach math in a group, so they can encourage each other and follow each other's lead. I work with them on learning styles and multiple intelligences, so they know themselves better, and then invite them to make some choices about what kind of assignments or studying they will do.
6C. Primarily, I like to use manipulatives, because it is hard to get the wrong answers when you use manipulatives. For example, 3/8 plus 1/4 never turns out to be 4/12 when you use manipulatives.
6D. [It was observed that], "some women who have survived violence in their past or are dealing with it in their present, have learned not to express an opinion, because they have not been allowed to have opinions, or have had dire consequences to expressing an opinion." As a seventh grade teacher, I worked with children who were from homes where violence and abuse existed. Unfortunately, it is too common. Also, I have known women who experienced and survived violence and I know that violence destroys their self-confidence and inhibits their ability for social interaction. The fear and mistrust inherent in a situation such as this is a block for learning and it is very difficult to overcome. Including her in a group discussion will probably not work at first, but might over time.
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