When I tell people that I teach high school math, most people respond by saying something like “You are so brave!” or “I hated math. I don’t know how you do it.” or “ I’m so bad at math.” These reactions are so common that I’ve come to expect them. But every time, I wish those people could experience my classroom on the days when students are engaging with math through an ethnomathematics lens. I think these naysayers might be able to see math in a different light.
In my teaching licensing course, I was introduced to culturally responsive teaching theories, but did not see many concrete examples of how to integrate these ideas into a math classroom. Traditionally, math is seen as neutral – cultureless, objective, or often described as a “universal language.” The ethnomathematics program has challenged me to think about this differently. Math is not cultureless. It has been shaped, used, and understood differently by various cultures and communities throughout history. And while math can be used as a tool for creativity, discovery, innovation, and empowerment, it has also been used as a tool of exclusion and harm by reinforcing capitalism, colonialism, and system inequalities.
Math in our society can be a gatekeeper, determining who gets access to advanced opportunities and higher-paying jobs. If students struggle in math or cannot see themselves in the content, they often internalize the belief that they are just “not a math person,” a label that can follow them throughout their lives. Incorporating ethnomathematics in my classroom builds bridges where there used to be gates, helping students feel more accepted and empowered to engage with mathematical content.
One example came from my own surroundings.I live in the Four Corners region of the United States where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. This landscape provided a wonderful opportunity to rethink how I teach about the coordinate plane. Instead of relying on textbook examples that felt disconnected from students’ lives, I brought in a map of our region. Students used the coordinate plane to explore locations they recognized – places they’ve been, places they would like to go, and places they had heard stories about. They then used these places to apply real-world concepts like plotting points, calculating distances between landmarks, and estimating travel costs. Now, the coordinate plane was no longer an abstract concept – it was a representation of their home.
When students see themselves, their families, their land, and their culture reflected in the math they are learning in school, their engagement changes. They ask more questions, make more connections, have deeper discussions, and begin to see value in the subject of math. It’s no longer just about getting the right answer. Ethnomathematics provides opportunities to redefine math as something personal, meaningful, and real.
There is still much to learn and I feel as though I will always be growing and finding new ways to incorporate ethnomathematics into my teaching. It has become clear to me though that math is far more than just numbers and equations. It is a human story. If more classrooms can embrace this idea, students will gain new opportunities for understanding, empowerment, and success. When they can see themselves in the content, we all win.
