'Finnish' Strong: Mathematical Mindsets, Pt. 1

 

This is the second time I'm reading Jo Boaler's Mathematical Mindsets, and I couldn't get past the first page in Chapter 8 before stopping multiple times! Reading with my pen in hand, I'm starring and underlining things in addition to what I noted last time. (Sorry for those who find writing in books to be sacrilegious!)
Right off the bat, I appreciate how firmly Boaler communicates her dislike and distrust of testing and grading student "understanding". By testing students, teachers encourage them to see their success through a lens of letter and numbers. "Such crude representations of understanding not only fail to adequately describe children's knowledge, in many cases their misrepresent it" (Boaler, 2016, p. 141).

Having the unique opportunity to teach Grade 8 and Grade 11/12 math, I see the widespread beliefs students hold about their mathematical abilities. Although it is already quite developed in Grade 8, students are still much more willing to work on math, simply for the sake of understanding and enjoyment. Convincing my high school students to play with a puzzle or explore completing the square for any reason other than "it will be on the test" is a feat that is not for the faint of heart! 

I am intrigued by Finland's lack of testing during the school year. This was probably my biggest 'stop moment.' 
"Students [in Finland] do not take any tests in school...Instead, teachers use their rich understanding of their students' knowledge gained through teaching to report to parents and make judgements about work...Students of the problem-solving school did so well in the standardized national exam because they had been TAUGHT TO BELIEVE IN in their own capabilities; they had been given HELPFUL, diagnostic information on their learning; and they had learned that they could solve any question, as they were MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM SOLVERS" (Boaler, 2016, p. 142 - emphasis my own). 

Reading this sparked my curiosity so much that I did a bit of a deep dive into what the internet had to say about Finnish schools. In 2011, Smithsonian Magazine published an article entitled Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? Touching on many of the same motivations, the writer describes the freedoms that teachers are given to work with and reach every student. Interestingly enough, the following main themes are touch upon:

• "Teachers are trusted to do whatever it takes to turn young lives around."
• "Many schools are small enough so that teachers know every student. If one method fails, teachers consult with colleagues to try something else. They seem to relish the challenges."
• "Finland's schools are publicly funded. The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators, not business people, military leaders or career politicians."
• "Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators. The result is that a Finnish child has a good shot at getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town."
• "Teachers in Finland spend fewer hours at school each day and spend less time in classrooms than American teachers. Teachers use the extra time to build curriculums and assess their students."

The article goes on, demonstrating a wide difference between Finland and North America, but I'm motivated to consider my reasons for testing and assessing. Finland teachers focus on relationship and deep meaning behind their assessments. They claim to be confused by the fascination North American teachers have on standardized testing, and they use observations and conversations to see each individual student and obtain a solid grasp of their true understanding, rather than basing a grade on a snapshot of understanding that a test provides. Combine this with Boaler's idea of providing growth messages and diagnostic feedback, and surely you have an unstoppable model for mathematical education!

Through all of this, I'm left to wonder:

• What could that look like in Canada? 
• This is great for smaller schools, but how can this be practical with hundreds of students through one classroom in a given day?
• How does BC's Proficiency Scale support or negate this idea of relationship and descriptive feedback versus grading? Does it have the same negative influence that providing a grade does?
• What do you do when parents (or students) insist on receiving a grade?

This now feels like rambling. I've only gotten through the first part of Boaler's chapter, so stay tuned for Mathematical Mindsets, Part 2!

Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students’ potential through creative math, inspiring messages, and innovative teaching. Jossey-Bass & Pfeiffer Imprints.