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Season 3 Preview
Thanks so much for coming back for Season 3 of Black Girl Math! I had such a great response to the videos and guests from last season that I decided to bring it back for Season 3. I want to hear from you to help me get ready for Season 3. I am looking for…
S3.Ep 1 Developing Positive Mathematical Mindsets
This month, I connected with one of my former students, Taylor Montgomery, to discuss her her love of mathematics connects to her current work and how her identity affects her work. Taylor recently achieved the honor of being the 1st Black women to earn a Master’s of Science in Biokinesiology from USC. She is an…
S3.Ep2 Why Content Matters
My guest, Dr. Kristopher J. Childs (he/him) is a keynote speaker, educator, and member of senior leadership teams who focuses his work on excellence in teacher content and pedagogical knowledge, equity, leadership development, and organizational change. In this episode, Dr. Childs shares his reasons for advocating for equitable, relevant content for Black students especially Black…
Checking-In
This month, I talk with Dr. Carolyn Strong, my friend and educator, about how to find ways to connect with and check in with Black students as we continue to deal with all of the social and political changes in the last year. Dr. Carolyn Strong is an educator, author and speaker. Dr. Strong’s work…
Celebrating Black Girl Math™
Black Girl Math™ celebrates two years this month with a podcast episode on Kids Math Talk and a featured blog for #BlackWomenRockMath. I appreciated sharing my journey! Black Girl Math has so much to celebrate! Thank you to all of my subscribers and viewers for being a part of the first two years of the…
Black Girls Belong 2
You push a girl out of schools and you push her into the streets; you push her into violence; you push her into trauma. Susan Burton of A New Way of Life Reentry Project from Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Dr. Monique W. Morris and Jacoba Atlas This month, I am…
Creating Spaces for Black Girls
This month I speak with three educators whose stories have contributed to their purpose for working with Black girls and their educators to create spaces where Black girls are centered and celebrated. The three educators joining me in the conversation are Dr. Carolyn Strong, Deborah Peart, and Jacqueline Smalls. Dr. Carolyn Strong, a previous Black…
Appreciating Teachers
“A hard truth that keeps coming back to me is the idea that when one overlooks those in their sphere of influence, the ones who have been overlooked see it, feel it, and experience it.”Lachanda Garrison, from The Power of Stories blog post For Teacher Appreciation Week, I wanted to celebrate a passionate educator who…
Representation Matters
Recently, I was in a school bathroom and saw a beautiful painting of an African woman dressed in African garb hanging on the wall. I was immediately filled with awe and joy because the painting radiated beauty and was a positive image in a surprising place. I am often one of few African American women…
Community Matters
When I was in elementary school, I was made fun of a LOT because I earned high test scores and mostly “As and Bs” in most subjects including math. I definitely remember being called a “teacher’s pet” and “nerd”. Nerds were not cool when I was growing up so being a labeled a “nerd” left…
Community Matters 2
“You can’t go it alone. We’re neuro-biologically hard-wired for connection with other people. In the absence of connection, love, and belonging, there is suffering.”–Brené Brown from The Call to Courage Netflix special I wholeheartedly feel the same way as Brené about my learning community. I can’t do this work alone! I loved that I had…
Supporting Leaders to Create a Culture of Learning
When I became a classroom teacher, one of the first books I received was The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher by Henry and Rosemary T. Wong to help me set up my learning environment and classroom management system. I continued to adopt and adapt many of the ideas as I…
Black Girls Belong
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day this year, I chose to dedicate this post to awareness of the injustice of how Black girls are treated in schools today and how to build safer learning environments for Black girls so they feel like they belong in their schools and classrooms. I attended a screening…
Connections Matter
Some of my favorite memories growing up were when we played games as a family. I loved playing math and word games with my family such as Scrabble, Checkers, and Connect 4. My father and my older brother taught my two younger brothers and me lots of other games with what we already had around…
Connections Matter 2
In April, more governors decided to close schools for the remaining of the school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More closings mean that more schools will be moving to remote learning and more time that learners will be learning at home with their families. To support families, teachers, and learners, I would…
Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk
Note: This post was originally published in June 2020. Last week I had an opportunity to share my work on how to engage Black students in productive mathematical discourse as part of #NCTM100 Professional Learning series. In the wake of the recent events following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I wasn’t sure…
More Talk to Create Equitable Spaces
One of the areas where I focus my work is on creating spaces for students to develop learning communities where they can see themselves as capable mathematicians who learn from each other. In a recent webinar, one of the Talk Moves authors, Dr. Nancy Anderson, and I discuss some specific strategies to support teachers who…
About Me
Hi, I’m Vada. I became a blogger in 2019 to create a space for educators of Black students with culturally responsive practices to improve access for Black students. Join me for a conversation!
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