Knowing the learner

Math teaching at the senior level is not just about delivering content  it’s about knowing the learner and removing barriers so every student can grow. In module 3, discover how to design a math classroom for humans first and curriculum second, ensuring everyone can access the material.

Reflection blog: Knowing my learners

As I build my Senior Math unit, I see my job the same way I see farming: nothing grows if you don’t know your soil. Planning starts with knowing who is in front of me – their strengths, gaps, goals, identities, and well-being. The Ontario Curriculum emphasizes understanding students’ backgrounds, needs, and lived realities, and our own identity as educators, which is essential for culturally responsive and relevant teaching and for student well-being.

Assessment and instruction are intertwined. I observe each student’s thinking process, gather evidence, and adjust accordingly. The goal is not “Who is strong/weak?” but “What support will move this learner forward?” This also encompasses mental health. A student who is anxious, stressed, or emotionally disengaged cannot fully participate in advanced math. Creating a safe climate is integral to teaching.

Therefore, when designing the unit, I prioritize the human element, recognizing that without it, students cannot access the curriculum.

How this unit supports other areas of the curriculum

Global citizenship: Students analyze real data (cost of living, climate trends, equity of access, etc.) to understand systems, fairness, and responsibility.

Literacy and communication: Students explain their thinking in words, building mathematical communication and overall academic literacy.

Identity, equity, and voice: I intentionally choose examples, applications, and problem contexts that reflect the cultures, languages, and lived experiences in the room, supporting engagement, belonging, and achievement through Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP).

Well-being / self-advocacy: We normalize struggle, discuss math anxiety, and frame “I’m not good at math” as something we can work on, linking Mathematics to mental health.

Artifacts

Artifact 1. IEP Sample: I developed an Individual Education Plan for a Grade 12 student, outlining the learner’s profile, instructional accommodations (chunking, visuals, pre-teaching), environmental accommodations (reduced-distraction space, flexible seating), and assessment accommodations (extra time, clarified wording, conferencing). This approach removes barriers to ensure fair access, not to "lower the bar."

Artifact 2. Unit of Study Planning: I began designing a Senior Math unit with six lessons plus a culminating task, fully developing two lessons and the culminating task. The planning integrates Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Differentiated Instruction (DI), and Backward Design. Starting from the final performance in the culminating task, I mapped the skills and concepts needed in earlier lessons. Each lesson offers multiple entry points and ways to show understanding, with built-in supports for everyone.

How I will adjust my classroom instruction going forward

This module is changing my planning in several key ways:

  1. Start with a learner scan: Supplement math diagnostics with inquiries about learning preferences, challenges, and stressors.
  2. Keep mental health visible: Openly address struggle and stress, encouraging early communication and support.
  3. Use CRRP intentionally: Choose examples and applications that reflect students’ cultures and lived realities.
  4. Teach with UDL / DI from the start: Offer visual supports, verbal explanation, structured notes, tech, conferencing, and choice in assessments.
  5. Spiral to close gaps with dignity: Re-teach key concepts within current lessons, avoiding shame for prior learning gaps.
  6. Connect math to the real world: Use real data sets from community life to illustrate math's relevance in understanding and decision-making.

Senior math: Designing learning for access

Senior Math is not just about teaching content  it’s about designing learning so every student can access that content. That means knowing the learner, planning with inclusion from the start (UDL, DI, accommodations), supporting mental health, and closing gaps with dignity so no one is left behind.