President's Message - August 2024

The Beauty of Mathematics

September always brings new beginnings, and this year, as I begin my term as President of OAME/AEMO, I am feeling a heightened sense of excitement, anticipation, and some disbelief. I have been involved with OAME/AEMO through my chapter, MAC2, since I graduated Teachers College. I had the great good fortune to be part of the organizing committee for the OAME/AEMO 2016 Annual Conference in Barrie. This organization means a great deal to me. From my early days teaching, it has shaped me as an educator, so my disbelief comes from the fact that I’m beginning a role as President for an organization which has been such a positive influence in my life.

This year, it feels as if we have continued to build momentum. In November 2023, we had a Virtual Leadership Conference with Ilana Horn. OAME Talks webinars have continued with great success. Chapters have led book studies, speaker series, and mini-conferences, all of which have been well attended. The 2024 Conference in Kingston was an incredible success, and educators came away feeling inspired and excited (and perhaps a little tired as well). Educators have had a few years to get to know the new curricula for Grades 1–8, and Grade 9 MTH1W. ChatOAME has been launched for members. There is an energy and a desire for ongoing learning.

In the past year, as President-Elect, I have been immersing myself in the history of OAME/AEMO, reading the Constitution and the Position Papers, browsing issues of the Gazette and Abacus, and reviewing the Mission, Vision, and Strategic Priorities.

Mission Statement
The mission of OAME/AOEM is to promote, support, and advocate for excellence in mathematics education throughout the province of Ontario.

A Vision for Learning Mathematics
OAME/AOEM envisions an equitable mathematics education community in which everyone experiences high- quality, research-informed, and engaging activities that promote critical thinking, while fostering a positive attitude toward mathematics.

Strategic Priorities
• Promoting and advocating for equity in mathematics education
• Supporting all OAME members by providing value for membership, including quality professional learning, resources, and opportunities to network
• Advocating for high-quality, research-informed practices, while building a community to support mathematics education

I also thought back to when I first read the Curriculum Content documents when the new curricula were released. Both the Grades 1–8 and Grade 9 curricula reference the beauty of mathematics several times. The beauty in mathematics can be found in the process of deriving elegant and succinct approaches to resolving problems. At times, messy problems and seeming chaos may culminate in beautiful, sometimes surprising, results that are both simple and generalizable. Elegance and chaos are both integral to the beauty of mathematics itself and to the mathematical experience. In other words, the beauty of mathematics is illustrated and enhanced by students’ diverse interpretations, strategies, representations, and identities—not diminished by them. Most importantly, students can experience wonder and beauty when they make exciting breakthroughs in problem solving. (Ontario Ministry of Education, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9–12: Mathematics, 2023, p. 7)

The key points of my thinking and reflection are equity, community, and excellence. We see the beauty of mathematics all around us. I know my family laughs at me (and sometimes groans) when I point out, “Hey, that’s math!” To engage students, we need to make sure they see the math they are learning as relevant and connected to their lived realities. As an organization, we will continue to work toward increasing access for all educators to contribute to and receive high-quality professional learning. We will strive for increased access to all levels of mathematics education for all students, providing educators with the resources they need to support their learners. And we will continue to build connections and networks throughout the province. As I begin my term as President, I hope to provide leadership in these areas and ask that you reach out with your ideas, questions, and concerns so that I can listen, learn, and grow in the role.

This organization, from the Board of Directors through to all the chapters and members, is an organization of educators who are dedicated to providing and improving mathematics education for the students of Ontario and beyond. I look forward to working with you through the next few years as we continue to promote, support, and advocate for excellence in mathematics education throughout the province of Ontario.

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