As a middle school math teacher, I can say that I try. From day one, our first and foremost class norm is "Our reasoning is more important than our answer." This unfortunately, for many, goes over like a lead balloon. This is my first year that I've made this norm as explicit as naming it every day. Some are buying in, which is good, while some are echoing Mom and Dad at home and complaining about this "new" math.

It's a slow go, but we're moving forward. With testing culture as prevalent as it is, the focus on using tricks to find the answers is at a premium.

In my classes, I do have a great number of students conditioned to proving their claims with evidence and reasoning. They're beginning to recognize the value of sound reasoning and problem solving.

Now, if I can find a way to remove the cultural acceptance of math illiteracy that occurs around me. Why is it that parents will meet with me at conferences and condemn their kids to math ignorance? For example,"I know little Billy is struggling with math, but I was never a math person myself anyway...can you just give him some extra credit?"

No. No I cannot give him extra credit. You are not supposed to undermine his education by asking that, or get all ticked off when I try and explain that this is a bad idea.

Can you instead give him a stronger work ethic and convince him that he will understand math better when he actually listens and follows through with his math? Oh, he'll have the grades and test scores you want too.

Yes. It's a slow go.