1)What Is the First Thought That Comes to Mind When You Think of Mathematics?

Online Resource 2

Beliefs Interview Protocol

1)What is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of mathematics?

• I asked a teacher the same question and she said ‘I think of numbers and formulas…you know like adding and subtracting…ahm, like computation’. What would you say to that teacher if you were having a conversation about mathematics?

2)What subject do you think is most like mathematics? Why?

• I asked this question to a student and he said, it was like ‘art’. What connections do you think the student was making?

3)What subject do you think is least like mathematics? Why?

4)Describe your experiences as a mathematics student in:

a) elementary school

b) middle school

c) high school

5)Describe some of your favorite activities with your students. Tell me why it is your favorite activity.

6)How would you describe your role in the teaching-learning process?

7)What do you think is the best way that students learn mathematics? What do you think are the most important aspects of mathematics teaching?

• If someone came to observe your class, do you think they would be able to see those characteristics reflected in your teaching? Why? Why not?

• How do you know when you have had a good mathematics lesson?

8) How would your describe your responsibilities within the learning environment in

general?*

9) How would you describe the responsibilities of the student?

10)Do you think there are constraints within the school environment that impact how you

would like to teach?

• If so, what are some of these constraints?
• How you feel about the fact that there are these factors that influence what you can do in the classroom?
• If there were no constraints attached to teaching, what would your ideal class period look like?

11)If you could design your own school, what would that look like?

12) What vision do you have for your teaching?

• Are you taking active steps to achieve this goal? If so, what are they?

13)Let’s say you were talking to a new teacher in your school and she said

‘You know, these kids are so hard to teach. I give them math worksheets after I show them how to do the problems and they get them wrong. It’s the first time I have taught a class where so many of the students are struggling to follow simple procedures.

• What advice would you give this teacher on how deal with the situation?

Supplemental Interview Questions

1)In what ways do you think your teaching and how you organize your classroom is impacted by the following?:

1. Parents
2. Colleagues
3. Community
4. School
5. Home

2)When you think about the impact of the home community on your students’ academic experiences, what emotions do you experience?