President's Message - December 2015

Let's Nominate

Have you ever considered that one of the toughest things a teacher learns to do is to provide a full repertoire of positive feedback? We learn that you "catch more flies with honey," but making positive feedback effective without seeming awkward or forced takes time to develop. Providing encouraging remarks that simultaneously help students improve is an art. Furthermore, it is an essential part of all evaluation because we need students to be motivated, at least to some extent, by the process. Nowhere is this public face of teaching clearer than quality report card comments. They take time because they are encapsulating so many interactions the teacher has had with the student.

Even when teachers have mastered the art of delivering positive feedback, they often have difficulties doing the same with their peers. It is easier to be collegial than evaluative when talking to another teacher. This is surely why teachers change the subject to last night's game or what one is doing on the weekend, rather than engage in discussions leading to professional growth. This is one of the primary reasons teachers so rarely observe each other's classes. It is not that we can't make time in the day_we do that for everything else. Rather, it is, in my opinion, concern regarding the feedback that will be received. We know the positive feedback is the thin veil of a deeper assessment that may miss the nuanced details of the context.

There is one form of positive feedback that circumvents the concern. It is through a nomination for one of the OAME's various awards. They are a realistic and credible way to acknowledge a colleague, which provides positive feedback without being evaluative. Some teachers would argue that they don't want to nominate anyone because the person may lose, but, as a person who has lost a couple of award nominations in my career, I can personally vouch for the powerful message that is received, simply by being nominated, which in itself is encouraging and motivating. Please consider acknowledging a colleague this year!

On a similar, but distinctly different, note, you have an opportunity to experience democracy by running for an elected position in the OAME. This could be within your chapter, the board of directors, or the executive. The democratic process also requires that we, the membership, take the time to vote! We collectively have an exercise in mathematics-education democracy. At the very least, I would ask you to participate by voting; at the very most, consider bringing your skill set to the electorate to learn about democracy in a different way.

Within chapters, voting occurs at different times; however, it is worthwhile to use the election period as a point for talking about roles in chapters. If we want to encourage new members, we need to actively engage in mentoring, and what better time to do that than during the winter months. In our chapters, we have room for more helpers_"Many hands makes for lighter work." As teachers, we know that having students come out for an event is what makes the event, yet we often make the same excuses as our students when it comes to our own engagement in chapter meetings.

One position that is not elected, but transitions now and again, is the role of Gazette editor. We have been fortunate to have had strong editorial leadership. The role is one that comes with timelines and production flow, but is clearly an opportunity for professional development that is second to none. Currently we are looking for an individual who is interested in mentorship through the Spring, with an eye to become the editor in the Fall. The role entails several people who contribute to the final product. The editor does not do the whole job, but is a pivotal contributor to the process. Anyone who would like more details is welcome to contact me.

As with all good math-education columns, I would be remiss if there wasn't a math moment in this column! Consider that the holidays are coming, with 15/12/25 being a key focus for many. If this is written 151225 (or any other order of the three component values), a curious number arises because each digit appears exactly twice. Is this number divisible by three? Recall that a number is divisible by three only if the sum of its digits is also divisible by three (and the sum of the digits in the sum, and so on...). So, in the case of a number where each digit appears twice, there must be an even sum of digits. This guarantees that the number is not divisible by three. In fact, 151225 = 5 x 5 x 23 x 263. Consider asking your students how many times a date with dual digits will happen next year.

On behalf of the OAME, I would like to take this opportunity to deliver best wishes for the holiday season. In our profession, it is a busy time, though there are often moments to pause and reflect on what we do. Most math teachers were inspired by a combined love of teaching and intrigue about mathematics. I hope you find time to tender the flames of mathematical intrigue as we approach "2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 63," or should I say 25(26 - 1)? Best wishes for a mathematically intriguing new year!

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