Through the UCSB Math Project I have had the privilege of learning from Rachel Lambert about her work with redesigning math classrooms to make them more accessible for all students, particularly for students with disabilities.  She recently published her first book, Rethinking Disability and Mathematics; A UDL Math Classroom Guide for Grades K-8.  I feel it is a must read for classroom teachers, special educators, resource teachers, and school administrators.  

She takes a very simplistic approach to identifying the pinch points in a classroom, the places where a math class is too narrow for one or more students to access, and has the teacher consider how to open up those pinch points so that all students can have access to the learning.  A key takeaway from her book is that we are not simplifying the learning or lowering the rigor, rather we are opening things up and providing support.  She uses great real life and classroom examples to paint a picture for what this looks like in application.  

Another key takeaway is the value of using empathy interviews with students in the design process.  An empathy interview is a one-on-one conversation with the user of the classroom, the students who you are teaching.  Ask them what allows them to feel successful in math class and what challenges they have.  The amazing thing about kids is that they tell you their pinch points.  

I have been reading Rachel’s book as part of a book club with Abbey, Sheri, and Mandy who are other elementary educators, discussing two chapters every few weeks. One of our rich discussions today was around teacher beliefs and the trust they give their students.  In Rethinking Disability and Mathematics, Rachel highlights integrated general education classrooms and self contained special education classrooms where teachers are using problem solving strategies found in Peter Lijedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms, Choral Counting, Counting Collections, and CGI (Cognitive Guided Instruction). All of these strategies ask the students to make sense of the problems, apply their own strategies, and communicate their thinking with others.  Unfortunately, teacher either does not trust their students will be able to do these things  or they do not have sufficient training and resources to implement this in their own teaching.  Rachel points out the magic that happens for all students in the classrooms where it does.   

Rachel paints a clear picture of what high quality math teaching and learning looks like and that it can work for all children.  So far, I am through chapter 8 and I can’t wait to see what else she highlights so that I can strive to make math learning fun, engaging, and meaningful for all students.  I can’t wait to find out where the pinch points are in my classroom and then play with ways that I can open them up and provide support for the students that need it.