Every day, we have an opportunity to show our students that we are voting for them.
This month, many of us took advantage of the opportunity to vote—to have our voices heard and work to impact the society we live in.
Voting is not actually as uncommon as it might feel. Yes, the opportunity to vote in an election is not very frequent, but voting is one of the most commonly used ways to make a group decision. Who will be on the school site council? Should we rename the gym after a retired and beloved teacher? We vote for award winners, school dance themes, most valuable athletes, and even the type of food we want to go get for dinner.
What we as educators often take for granted is the fact that we have the responsibility to vote multiple times every single day. Each day we walk into our classrooms and have the opportunity to vote in favor of every one of our students. We vote to believe in their ability as mathematicians, as students, and as people with value. Unlike an election, there are no polls or newscasts alerting the world to the choices we make, but they matter. We have to find ways to show our students that we are voting for them.
As you prepare for your next class, be intentional with your vote. Keep voting in favor of your students. One day, they will come back and tell you how much that vote changed their lives.
Sarah Galasso began her career teaching secondary mathematics in Anaheim, CA. Sarah’s passion for math education and supporting diverse learners led her to the University of CA, Irvine, where she worked to provide professional development for southern California school districts as they developed K–12 standards-aligned math curricula. She also partnered with Student Achievement Partners writing a series of blog posts on the Standards for Mathematical Practice for AchievetheCore.org. As the Director of Instructional Design, Math (6-12), Sarah applies her knowledge to help produce high quality instructional resources and tools to support student growth.
Explore more related to this authorEach day we walk into our classrooms and have the opportunity to vote in favor of every one of our students. We vote to believe in their ability as mathematicians, as students, and as people with value.
Sarah Galasso, Senior Master Math Practitioner, Carnegie Learning
