Advocacy can be a very complicated topic for students to grasp. Middle schoolers often feel that they do not have sufficient agency over their own lives. They hear commands from parents at home and instructions from teachers in school. Frequently, they receive the message (tacit or otherwise) that their thoughts and opinions are less important than those of adults and will matter more when they are older and wiser.

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It is against this backdrop that transformational teachers must work. Although students may struggle to exercise meaningful power in some aspects of their lives, they must learn that they have the ability, intelligence, and drive to change the world around them for the better. Inspiring students with the stories of past leaders is worthwhile, but no less important is calling them to meaningful action on behalf of themselves and others.

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As a math teacher, I strive to connect math to real-world situations and events. When I have done my job effectively, students understand that math can be a tool of change and liberation. My scholars learn about the advocacy process and then engage in self-directed projects about topics that interest them (rather than ones that I assign). To see examples of such projects, click the first two buttons below. To see examples of cultural identity connections and affirmation at my school and in my classroom, click the third button. To read about how math touches my students' lives in their own words, click the fourth button.