Exit Slip # 7: Culture and Gender Stereotypes

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 I took a look at the Math Guru videos and website, as well as the University of Nottingham women in mathematics video. It seemed that a lot of the women spoke about how there was a turning point when they realized that math was accessible to them until they discovered otherwise or discovered that they really connected with the field. Therefore there was this default in place that they had to overcome to realize they were fully capable to succeed in math. That default is what we need to move away from and I think introducing voices from people of different background and genders is the first step in doing so. This made me think about the importance of presenting these voices. In math history class, we speak about ways we can diversify concepts by introducing their non-Western origins, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I think the key here is to introduce these ideas organically instead of having a day where we just talk about, for instance, "Women in math" but quickly move on to "standard" curriculum content in all its Western, male-dominated context. I can't count the amount of times I've cringed at the blatant "feminist" message in a show (e.g. on an episode of The Flash, the women ended up on a mission together, which was going really well until they went around in a circle saying "#feminism" in a very inorganic way). We need to show students that women, people of colour, people who belong to the 2SLGBTQ+ community etc. are all out there participating in, succeeding in, and expanding the world of math without coming across as inauthentic because otherwise they won't believe us. My thoughts right now are to try and incorporate as many different prominent mathematicians with different backgrounds as possible to help normalize this reality with my students. Also, like Vanessa Vakharia stated, we need to get away from the idea that someone is or is not a "math person" (and I'd say the same about any discipline) in general. Showing that math is accessible to everyone and that it's never too late to start the learning process is another notion we need to convey to our students.