Jason Michalicek co-teaches math with Special Education Teacher Ben Drewelow at District 287’s North Education Center Academy ALC. Read below for more information about a practical strategy that Jason and Ben use in their classroom to widen the equity lens of the students they teach about the impact on the world of mathematics from under-recognized voices.

Throughout history many mathematicians have been celebrated and recognized for major impacts in the art of mathematics. A majority of these mathematicians were white males. This was not due to intelligence or capability, but purely a lack of equity and access. Regardless of these barriers there have been numerous women and people with diverse racial and national identities scattered throughout history that have made significant strides in mathematics. In our math class, Ben Drewelow and I, spend time each week highlighting individuals who have contributed to the field of mathematics but have been forgotten or marginalized by mainstream academics.

I believe it is valid to talk about the history behind the many theorems and concepts provided by men like Gauss, Fibonacci and Archimedes. I also choose to acknowledge mathematicians of different ethnicities and genders like Katherine Johnson, Maria Agnesi, and David Blackwell. When students are only exposed to successful mathematicians who are white and male it makes it hard to see themselves being successful in math. History of the dead, white, male can indirectly send a message that it is the only demographic that can be successful. My aim, at a minimum, is to expose my students to people similar to them that have found success with mathematics by spending time at the beginning of each week talking about someone new. This weekly warm-up isn’t only a recognition of the math contributions from diverse mathematicians, it helps to establish a classroom culture that chooses to talk about race, culture, and equity as it relates to math, education, and life.