Black Language in a Mathematics Classroom? The Case of One Black Male Teacher’s Pedagogy

• In Event: Agency and Voice in the Math Classroom

Abstract

In this paper I share work that I have conducted with Riley, a Black male mathematics pre-service teacher. I build on work in mathematics education that values linguistic diversity by exploring how he uses Black Language in his pedagogy. After conducting a sociolinguistic analysis on classroom observations and interviews of Riley, I found that two of the most prominent ways he was using language was to a) build community and to b) check for understanding. I also argue that what Riley demonstrated was that his linguistic repertoire, what might be considered the very linguistic features that make mathematics learning culturally relevant for Black children, do not take away from the learning experiences of white youth– it enhances them.

Author

• Nickolaus A. Ortiz, Georgia State University