From the Archives–2012

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by Mark Nechanicky, Region 1 MCTM director

In 2012, Dancing with the Stars was 7 years old. The show, and teaching math continue on.

Kay A. Wohlhuter

I’m a Dancing with the Stars fanatic. A colleague and I dissect each dance and have strong opinions about which stars should return the following week. My fascination with the show has also led to some interesting observations about what makes a good dance professional. Dance professionals need to know how to dance various dances such as the jive, the rumba, and the Viennese waltz. It’s not enough to just be able to dance; the professionals also have to understand what instructional elements will help others learn to dance. The strongest dance teachers assess their students’ abilities on an ongoing basis and are able to design and adjust their instruction to match the needs of their students. On a recent show, one of the professionals told his star that she did not need to apologize for getting frustrated with his instruction because he knew that he could find a better way to help her learn the dance. The best dance professionals are able to incorporate the judges’ feedback as they design appro-priate instruction for their students. For me, the show’s highlights occur when a dance professional’s plan results in their star demonstrating confidence as a dancer and succeeding at a level beyond the star’s wildest dreams.

Sound familiar? Of course they do because these observations identify the same qualities we use to characterize good mathematics teachers, to describe what it means to develop as a teacher, and to illustrate the complex nature of the teaching and learning of mathematics. Additionally, isn’t it our goal for all students to become empowered mathematicians thriv-ing in the world around them. It’s a lofty goal, but research conducted in areas such as stu-dent learning, teacher preparation, formative assessment, special education, and technology use lead us to believe that this goal is obtainable. Be it in your role as teacher, curriculum specialist, assessment coordinator, researcher, or administrator, put on your dancing shoes and see what happens.