Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Navigating Potential Conflicts in Mathematics Classrooms

• In Event: Expanding Theory on Teacher Noticing Through Collaborative Inquiry and Co-Design

Abstract

Objective or purpose
Noticing is grounded in personal and social histories and local context. Thus, what we notice is not politically neutral (Louie, 2018; Hand, 2012). With a focus on discipline and the connection to the school-to-prison nexus (Annamma, 2020), we highlight the unlearning of traditional classroom management through noticing. Specifically, we narrate the shifts in noticing—and not noticing—through classroom interactions and the change in a mathematics teacher’s classroom management strategies to increase students’ engagement in mathematical activities.

Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
Teacher noticing seeks to create awareness of noticing to facilitate reflection and shifts in classroom interactions (Authors, 2021; Mason, 2009). It emphasizes what educators attend to, interpret, and their decisions to respond in the moment-to-moment interaction (Jacobs et al., 2011). With attention to the social and cultural construction of noticing (Authors, 2021; Hand, 2012), we interrogate how teachers hone their professional vision (Authors, 2009) to notice, not notice, and notice but act differently to potential moments of classroom conflict.

Methods and data sources
We draw on a data set from a multi-year project that included classroom observations, video noticing interviews with mathematics teachers, professional development activities, and interactions with mathematics teachers, community members, and university researchers. For this paper, we relied primarily on classroom observations, recordings from video noticing interviews, and reflective memos. Recordings were content logged across all five participating teachers, and an analytic memo was written for each teacher. The theme for navigating potential moments of conflict emerged across multiple teachers. We focus on one teacher as a case study to build nuance in the interactions and reflections.

Results
Through the case study of one teacher, Juan, we highlight the learning and unlearning of traditional classroom management practices. We contrast his work as a first-year teacher who maintained a “discipline log” of misbehavior to control the classroom and how students resisted this effort. Juan shifted over time with the desire to foster caring relationships with his students. Through reflections on the noticing interviews, we gained insight into elements that have facilitated a learning environment where students are invited into math content instead of being called out. Specifically, we document interactions that could have led to conflict or disciplinary action and how Juan responded. First, this includes not noticing interactions due to the expectation of age-appropriate movement and second, noticing but responding differently to re-organize his interaction to invite students into the classroom activity.

Significance
Juan’s unlearning of traditional practices and shift in noticing connects to the larger issue of discipline within classroom settings. In the United States, there are strong racial and gender disparities related to classroom discipline (Wallace et al., 2008). We contribute how dominant narratives related to classroom management can shape teachers’ attention to and interpretation of their classroom practices and students’ behavior. Lastly, we highlight how positive student relationships can disrupt attention to discipline while promoting equity in learning opportunities.

Authors

• Elizabeth Mendoza, HEAL Collective

• Jose Angel Mendez, University of California - Irvine

• Juan Alvarez, Sycamore Junior HIgh School