K-State researchers help teachers turn everyday math lessons into life skills.
The College of Education at Kansas State University, the largest teacher preparation program in the state, is known for its keen knowledge of the evolving needs of K-12 schools of all sizes, locations and socioeconomic makeups. Research conducted by K-State faculty equips educators — future and current — with the science-backed information they need to make a true difference in the lives of their students across Kansas and beyond.
In “The Well-Rounded Math Student,” experts explore the intersection of math lessons and life lessons. Jessica Lane, associate professor of counselor education, and Sherri Martinie, professor of secondary math education, join professors from two other Kansas universities to write about the many ways math teachers can support social-emotional learning such as resilience, self-awareness and more.
How can mathematics, of all subjects, be a conduit for social-emotional learning principles?
SM: Many people think of math as solving equations or memorizing procedures, but that’s only one small part of math learning. Solving an equation is a little like reading a paragraph aloud. It’s an important skill, but we wouldn’t say reading instruction is complete once students can pronounce the words. We also want them to comprehend, analyze, discuss, evaluate and apply what they’ve read.
Real math thinking involves making sense of problems, explaining reasoning, considering different perspectives, learning from mistakes and seeing them as opportunities, and working productively with others. Those are all opportunities to develop social and emotional competencies.
If our goal is simply to produce the correct answer to a familiar equation, then yes — solve it and move on. But if our goal is to prepare students for the kinds of thinking they need in college, career and life, then pushing “answer-getting” misses much of what math has to offer.
What has changed inside or outside the classroom to create a need for this book?
JL: Students spend a significant portion of their day in school, making educators some of the most influential adults in their lives. And as student mental health concerns continue to rise, schools are increasingly called upon to support the whole student through social and emotional well-being in addition to academic achievement.
This book is designed to support the work of already-talented educators by providing additional tools to better meet the diverse needs of their students. Teachers care deeply about their students and play an essential role in their growth, but they are not expected to be mental health professionals. Instead, they can foster supportive learning environments by building strong relationships and intentionally embedding opportunities for students to think critically, collaborate, reflect and develop other essential life and employability skills through everyday mathematics instruction.
This book explores how mathematics instruction, social-emotional learning, and teacher preparation can work together to support the development of the whole student.
Math teaching has also changed a lot over the years, like the switch to common core. Did that make it more amenable to social-emotional learning?
SM: Throughout the history of math education, instruction has often swung like a pendulum, from emphasizing procedural fluency to emphasizing understanding, back again and everything in between. More recently, research and practice have supported the importance of a balanced approach to both.
Don’t schools have counselors on hand to support students’ emotional development?
JL: They do! The book outlines strategies to complement, rather than replace, the specialized work of school counselors.
Where counseling resources may be limited, as is the case in many rural schools, this partnership is especially important. When teachers intentionally foster relational and critical thinking skills within academic learning, they help create supportive learning environments while allowing school counselors to focus their expertise on students with more intensive needs.
It sounds like this approach would especially benefit rural school districts.
JL: Supporting and sustaining rural schools is a passion of mine — both personal and professional. I grew up in the rural Midwest, attending a one-building K–12 school with a graduating class of 17 students.
I also saw the crucial role rural schools play in their communities from the educator’s perspective as an elementary math teacher and school counselor. School personnel in these close-knit communities tend to assume more of a mentorship role, which makes them ideal candidates to support students’ overall well-being.
Rural schools have mastered the art of producing well-rounded, community-minded students with a willingness to learn through a variety of approaches, and the book offers practical strategies to help them build on those strengths. There are a lot of ways that we can both learn from and support rural schools and communities.
It also sounds like the guidance in this book could be helpful for more than just math teachers.
JL: This book is designed for mathematics teachers who want to create more well-rounded learning experiences. But yes, the concepts are relevant across disciplines as educators consider how their lesson plans can reinforce inter- and intrapersonal skills such as communication, responsibility and resilience.
Ultimately, we want to encourage educators to expand their concept of the profession beyond simply teaching content to students. We want them to see that teaching has the potential to develop students through the content they teach. Schools can use this framework to help students learn to thrive academically, personally and professionally.
SM: Our perspective on math is that it isn’t just preparation for future STEM careers; it’s preparation for thoughtful citizenship. Every day people encounter situations that require analyzing information, weighing evidence, communicating ideas, working with others and making good decisions. A well-designed math classroom provides authentic opportunities to develop these things right along with the math understanding. That’s what we mean by developing a well-rounded math student.
What’s one example of a math lesson that sharpens next-generation skills?
SM: Imagine students are planning a community garden. They have a fixed amount of space and budget and must decide what to plant, how to arrange the plots, and how much each section will cost. Small groups develop different proposals using measurement, fractions, ratios and area calculations. They then present, compare and defend their plans.
Throughout the lesson, students are learning and applying math, but also collaborating, negotiating disagreements, considering multiple solutions, communicating, responding to feedback, supporting one another and persisting through challenges.
It all adds up
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