Black Mathematics Teachers Cultivating Black Girl Magic: Two Case Studies

• In Event: Exploring and Disrupting Marginality and Inequity in Mathematics Classrooms

Abstract

Black girls experiences in mathematics classes have only recently been a focus in the research literature. Specifically, there is little work documenting instructional practices for successful teachers of Black girls in mathematics. This study focuses on two cases of teachers who’s Black girls had the largest gains in mathematics achievement in one metropolitan area. The findings present five forms of principled instructional practice in these classrooms: maintaining autonomy of students, checking for understanding, holding students accountable, and building collective responsibility and positioning Black girls as experts. Although these teachers used procedural instruction, their practice disrupted the traditional trope of Black teachers as disciplinarians and created environments where Black girls were able to achieve.

Authors

• Brittany Leslie Marshall, Rutgers University

• Dan Battey, Rutgers University

• Aziel Rosado, Rutgers University