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Transforming Mathematics Teacher Education pp 135–146Cite as

Reflecting Back to Move Forward: Using a Mathematics Autobiography to Open Humanizing Learning Spaces for Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers

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Abstract

In this chapter, the authors present their experiences as four mathematics teacher educators who use the mathematics autobiography, one precursor activity to the Mathematics Learning Case Study Module from the Teachers Empowered to Advance Change in Mathematics (TEACH Math) project, in their courses. The mathematics autobiography can help pre-service teachers (PSTs) reflect on who they are as mathematics students and as future teachers while learning to create humanizing spaces for their future students to learn and do mathematics. While writing the chapter, the authors first shared their personal mathematical autobiographies with each other and then discussed what they learned from each other’s stories. Emerging from this discussion were three overarching themes related to the purpose of the mathematics autobiography in their mathematics methods courses: (a) to elevate historically silenced voices, (b) to create an entry point for developing PSTs’ critical lens for teaching mathematics, and (c) to encourage PSTs’ curiosity about the lives of their students. The chapter concludes by considering the implications of the mathematics autobiography as a means of supporting more teachers and teacher educators to adopt a humanizing stance toward mathematics education.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Crystal Kalinec-Craig

  2. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Theodore Chao

  3. Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA

    Luz A. Maldonado

  4. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis

Authors
  1. Crystal Kalinec-Craig
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  2. Theodore Chao
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  3. Luz A. Maldonado
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  4. Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Crystal Kalinec-Craig .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Tonya Gau Bartell

  2. Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Corey Drake

  3. College of Education, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

    Amy Roth McDuffie

  4. College of Education, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Julia M. Aguirre

  5. Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Erin E. Turner

  6. Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, NY, USA

    Mary Q. Foote

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Kalinec-Craig, C., Chao, T., Maldonado, L.A., Celedón-Pattichis, S. (2019). Reflecting Back to Move Forward: Using a Mathematics Autobiography to Open Humanizing Learning Spaces for Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers. In: Bartell, T., Drake, C., McDuffie, A., Aguirre, J., Turner, E., Foote, M. (eds) Transforming Mathematics Teacher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21017-5_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21017-5_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-21016-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-21017-5

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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