An apprenticeship of students in self-regulation to engage and interpret mathematics as a language is key in getting students to attend to mathematics' constant referencing to other more simpler concepts. So, with this in mind, the theme ‘teaching as activism' becomes a bilateral phenomenon in the form of a cognitive apprenticeship in self-regulation. In this view, the teacher self-regulates, and is refined by the students in order to be an effective guide to them; and the students self-regulate and are refined by the teacher to be effective apprentices. In short, everyone in the classroom learning environment takes direct action to achieve one coherent goal – high quality teaching and learning of mathematics. In a country that is so perverse in its social inequities, especially in its educational institutions, there is no better example of ‘teaching as activism' than the construction of a learning environment that is capable of producing high quality teachers and learners of mathematics when not many people thought it was possible.
TopIntroduction
I am an African American man born in 1970 in Detroit, Michigan. My educational journey spans experiences at both a historically Black university, Prairie View A&M University, and a predominantly White university, the University of Michigan. Initially trained as an engineer, I have navigated professional roles in that field, holding degrees in electrical engineering at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. My Doctor of Philosophy is in mathematics education, shaping my current position as a mathematics teacher in the K–12 environment.
I stand six feet, six inches tall and I wear glasses. I understand that my physical appearance and educational accomplishments generate specific perceptions—some threatening and some non-threatening—in people’s minds. Based on the context described some view me as the “angry Black man,” a symbol of threat fueled by systemic injustices and grand (master) narratives that prevail in society. Conversely, others perceive me as the “intellectual Black man,” a catalyst for change due to the generations of hope, resilient support networks, and the unwavering pursuit of social justice that challenges the foundations of society.
I am familiar with the often-quoted phrase, “Perception is reality.” However, this simplistic, reductionistic mindset represents the very opposite of genuine philosophical inquiry. Rather than controlling perception, I focus on shaping what I project. I endeavor to emanate compassion over competition, healing over harm, construction over destruction, seeking repair through remediation rather than fostering resentment, and advocating for evolution rather than evacuation.
What follows is a junior scholar’s attempt to explore, describe, and explain the United States’ approach to educating African Americans but also to provide pathways to move the country beyond this subpar standard. Presently, the American society crumbles under the weight of hegemony and pervasive social injustices, demanding an evolution. Hegemony, as defined by Adamson (2014), involves individuals subscribing to ideas that govern their behavior for the benefit of oppressive systems or institutions.
Over the last 17 years, my teaching journey has spanned across middle school and high school mathematics in three of the four largest counties in my state. I have had the great opportunity to work in urban schools that earned Title-I status due to the socio-economic status of a large percentage of the student body. These opportunities have been immensely rewarding as I have predominantly taught African American youth, many who have lacked consistent positive and caring African American male figures in their lives. Being an African American male mathematics teacher has provided a consistent presence that I believe my students value in their educational journey.
Another reason I consider these teaching experiences as great opportunities stems from my background as an educated engineer—a field in which challenges and problem-solving excite me. Over the years, there has been widespread propaganda surrounding the academic achievement gap, often stereotyping socially and economically disadvantaged students as unable to learn mathematics (Jeynes, 2015). However, this could not be further from the truth. Debunking this stereotype has been a compelling opportunity that I have gladly accepted throughout my 17 years in education.
What has been most startling is that most of my students reject this stereotype, contrary to the belief of many adults in their lives. Unfortunately, however, a large number of teachers within these students’ lives have also come to believe this misconception.
Over the years, I have found that some of my most savvy students decided to fuel this stereotype by feigning ignorance of certain mathematical concepts. This was achieved simply by not trying to understand these concepts. One common ploy involved a lack of attention—a strategy easily executed amid the many distractions in today’s youth culture. In my first five years of teaching, I dedicated myself to delivering what I considered to be the absolute best daily lessons, an approach that I learned during my teaching certification courses.
At one point, my department head invited me into her office for a discussion and asked me the following question: “At the end of each day, who would you say is most tired: you or your students?” I gave the question serious thought, answering, “Truthfully, I’m more tired than all my students every day.” Then, the department head gave me advice that I still use to this day. She said, “You work hard … but now I need you to work smart. If you don’t figure out how to work smart, you will burn yourself out.”