President's Message - December 2019
A "Decemberish" Message
PAUL ALVES
paul.alves@oame.on.ca
I find myself writing my second December message as I serve my second term as OAME/AOEM President. One would think that with experience comes some sort of perspective and learning gained through that experience. I can distinctly see what is portrayed as the finish line in my teaching career, and it is my hope that by this point in my teaching career, the years spent in the classroom and in various roles supporting classroom teachers, that I would have figured some things out. But I find that I have more questions now than answers, and little time left to resolve those mysteries. This situation brings to mind a quotation from John Dewey that I archived when reading Tara Westover's 2018 book Educated. At the start of one chapter, she quotes Dewey: "I believe finally, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the same thing." Whether you are a student or a teacher, this quotation resonates and is a reminder that learning is a continual journey, and that when we assess our own learning and that of our students, we are just perceiving where all of us are at that moment in the journey.
Not only is this true of the individual, but one can argue that communities such as OAME/AOEM are also continually reconstructing their experience in light of who they are and what they have learned. At the October Annual General Meeting, the new mission, vision, and strategic priorities were passed by the majority of members present. If you haven't had a chance to read through the new guiding principles, please take a moment and go to the website and select the Guiding Principles from the About OAME tab on the left side of the page. The new Guiding Principles are the culmination of a long process of consultation and work undertaken by the Board of Directors and will guide OAME/AOEM further along its "journey of experience" for the near future until it needs to "reconstruct its experience" again.
Reflecting back on what has been happening around OAME/AOEM in the first half of the school year, we have had some superb learning opportunities locally, provincially, and digitally. Locally, I attended mini-conferences hosted by the Grand Valley Mathematics Association (GVMA chapter) and Toronto Educators Association for MathematicS (TEAMS chapter). These were marvellous events that allowed teachers to participate in high-quality professional learning close to home. Also, the Scarborough Association for Mathematics Education (SAME chapter) has been hosting a book study for OAME/AOEM 2019 that featured speaker and Gazette columnist, David Costello's Using What Works: Strategies for Developing a Literacy-Rich Environment in Math. I want to thank all of the volunteers and speakers who take time to make these local events valuable learning experiences for all educators. Are you interested in checking out what may be happening in your area? Go to the OAME/AOEM website and select Chapter Conferences from the Conferences/Events tab on the left side of the page.
I want to thank the speakers from the OAME/AOEM 2019 Leadership Conference. They were Marian Small, Doug Duff, Hiren Mistry, Nat Banting, Em Del Sordo, Brian Aspinall, and Natasha Henry. My goal with the event was to engage leaders across the province in continuing significant work that has been started in many regions around instruction, assessment, equity, and innovation. Each of these speakers provided a passionate call to continue the valuable work that has been going on in many regions, despite some of the challenges we have been facing this year.
If you have been unable to make it to a local event or the Leadership Conference, there are still opportunities for you to continue your own process of education. There are three webinars coming in the second half of this school year in the OAME Talks Webinar series. Go to https://talks.oame.on.ca/ for a list of the remaining webinars and registration details. The first four webinars, which included our first French- language webinar, and the remaining three, provide a chance to hear some of the speakers from OAME/AOEM 2019. Lastly, the big date on many math educator calendars is OAME/AOEM 2020 in Oshawa. I am looking forward to attending the keynote and featured speaker sessions, as well as the usual diverse selection of program sessions. Registration details will most likely be available early in 2020. Don't hesitate to register, as sessions fill up quickly.
In conclusion, I will reflect on a piece by NCTM President Robert Q. Berry III. In his August 2019 blog post entitled "Starting the School Year by Unpacking Your Why," Dr. Berry prompts us to reflect on this question: Why do you teach? I recommend reading Dr. Berry's blog post and watching the video from comedian Michael Jr. linked in the post to emphasize the power of knowing your why. To quote Dr. Berry, "Until you are clear on your why, it may be difficult to think intentionally about your what." Although we are well past the start of the school year, I would encourage you to answer this question as we approach the winter break, and take some time to reflect on what has passed and re- energize ourselves for what is to come. Personally, my why involves the energy that I feel when students are engaged in doing meaningful mathematics and working with committed and passionate educators who are committed to promoting, supporting, and advocating for excellence in mathematics education throughout the province. On behalf of the OAME/AOEM Board of Directors and Executive Committee, I want to wish you a restful and joyful winter break and all the best for 100 √(404-22) + √(404-22) .
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