Recently, I visited our Eighth Grade advanced algebra class. When I stopped in, the teacher paused to explain to me what the students were learning. As she went on, a student looked at her and asked, “Does he even know what you are talking about?” I was a little taken aback, but I know the student, and he did not mean any disrespect. The teacher asked me directly if I knew, and I initially managed not to answer the question.  

I left to visit other classes, but I could not stop thinking about that interaction. I decided to return to that class. I approached the student who asked the question and said to him for the entire class to hear, “I was thinking about the question you asked and to answer your question, I have no idea what you are talking about or learning. You were right when you asked that question.”

I then went on to explain to the class that I actually did not need to know what they were learning in math. At my age, and in my career, I never needed to use the math strategies they were learning. As a Jewish educator, I never have reason to use this knowledge and over time I forgot it. (In my case, probably almost immediately!)

I went on to explain to them that when I was their age, and a little older, I definitely needed to know what they were learning and to explore my abilities and interest in math. I continued to explain that since I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life at that point, it was important that I was exposed to as many different opportunities as possible at school, to explore my interests, and to discover my skills and talents so that I could have as many choices as possible when I went to college and determined what my profession would be. While I no longer needed to know “what they were learning,” they certainly did, and at a younger age, I did too.

I have frequently thought about this exchange since that day. School is about learning new skills - skills that we need throughout life and exposure to skills that we may never use again. School is also about exploration and discovery. We want our children to be curious and to feel safe to take educational risks. We want them to make an effort and give it their best as they tackle new skills, problems and ideas. Learning takes time and effort - and every child progresses at their developmental pace. Some kids excel in one area, while others excel in different areas. Some kids catch on quickly, others take more time - and one is not better than the other - which we often lose sight of, especially if learning, not speed, is the actual goal.

It is through this process that students grow cognitively and emotionally and it is through this process that they begin to recognize what is interesting to them and what is not. Ultimately, as we grow, we gravitate to those things we are both interested in and those things we tend to do well.

In full disclosure, I was not a great math student. In fact, I was one of those people who believed I was just not a math person. As I look back there are two reasons for this. One, I was truly the victim of “New Math” - a short-lived math curriculum that was misguided from the beginning, and left students like me without mastering basic skills. I was left always feeling like I was catching up both in Junior High School and High School. The other reason I felt like I was not a math person was because math class was always about the product - the test and moving quickly from one unit to the next. It was not a safe environment for learning - there was no room for making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. You either made it or you didn’t.  It left me feeling negatively about my math abilities for many years. It left an indelible mark.

One of the reasons I am so excited about our new math curriculum, Illustrative Math, is because it approaches math as if everyone is a math person, and they are. It builds skills and confidence. When I look at how math is taught today, especially in this program, there is no doubt I would have had a very different relationship with math. When you walk into any math class at Schechter you see students actively engaged, sometimes with great animation, discussing and even debating how to solve a problem and arrive at the answer.

Perhaps I did not open doors to other possibilities in my life because of my relationship with math. I pursued other interests that did not require expertise in math. For me, I found plenty of things that I care passionately about and I feel deep gratitude for what I have been able to do in my career.  

At Schechter Bergen, no matter the struggle, we want each child to believe they can learn anything at their highest level, as long as they put in effort, are given support, and the time to master the material.  No child should ever leave Schechter saying they can’t. They don’t need to be experts in everything, we surely are not, but they should graduate Eighth Grade believing they can open any door they choose to.