Monday, November 30, 2020

Mr. Carefoote's Legacy

I was a high school student back in the 1980s, when it was still five years long and the "OAC year" existed.  Back then, there were not a lot of course options like there are now. I took math every year, even though it was not my strongest subject. Often, my math teacher was Mrs. Daphne Hart. I will remember Mrs. Hart most of all for talking my father down from a potential panic attack; my dad was freaked out to see police cars on location at the first high school dance I attended and Mrs. Hart was the one to explain to him that hiring officers for security was a normal procedure and no reason for alarm. 

Another teacher of mine was Mr. Arnie Carefoote. Mr. Carefoote was my teacher for Grade 12 Computer Science, although he was more well-known as a math teacher. Mr. Carefoote was my sister's math teacher and he was famous for a particular practice of his. Mr. Carefoote would give a bonus mark if a student wrote "Math is fun!" on his/her/their math test. My sister used to say that she'd write this phrase every single time she wrote a math test for Mr. Carefoote because there were times that she was desperate for that extra point. 

I went looking in my old high school yearbooks for photos of Mrs. Hart and Mr. Carefoote. I was an enthusiastic participant in extra-curricular clubs when I attended Birchmount Park C.I. and even joined the math club. When I found Mr. Carefoote's photo, included with his signed message was the famous phrase.

Fast forward thirty years. I now teach Grade 5-6 math. One of the new components of the updated math curriculum is Social Emotional Learning Skills in Mathematics and the Mathematical Processes.  The goal is to "promote a positive identity as a math learner, to foster well-being, and the ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive". 


I'm trying hard to help my students "identify and manage emotions" related to teaching and learning math, as well as "recognize sources of stress" and "maintain positive motivation and perseverance". We do a lot of "playful math" and "collaborative math" in our class. For instance, this past week, we explored magnetic shapes as well as Cat's Cradle string games to delve into 2D geometry. 






The collaboration is even incorporated into more formal evaluations. We have study pairs and small group sessions because sometimes hearing an explanation from someone else makes the concept clearer for some students. We also do a lot of thinking and talking before and after quizzes and tests. At some point in the past, I relayed the story of Mr. Carefoote. I told the students that I wasn't going to give bonus points for math-positive phrases written on their tests ... but this has not stopped students from adopting the practice as their own. These are just a few of the phrases I've found on tests and quizzes.






I guess Mr. Carefoote was ahead of his time. I don't know how much these testimonials are performative and how much of them are genuine expressions of love for a subject, but if they contribute to a positive attitude towards math, then who am I to judge? Maybe one day I'll actually give that bonus mark!

PS Remember Mrs. Hart? Here is her photo.


Mrs. Hart was also significant because she was the first BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or Person of Colour) teacher I ever had. This is important.
We need to see more non-white teachers. What can I do to foster this, even when my own visible identity is that of a white woman? I try to bring a variety of experts into my classroom. This was the perfect video to share with my students during our letter writing unit, and not just because it explained the required elements of an email clearly and memorably. I don't want my students to have to wait until Grade 9 to be taught by a Black educator.
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