The Jaime Escalante Math Program. INSTITUTION National Education Association, Washington, D.C

ED 345 942 SE 052 796

AUTHOR Escalante, Jaime TITLE The Jaime Escalante Math Program. INSTITUTION National Education Association, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 90 NOTE 21p.; This article first appeared in the Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 59, No. 3 (Summer 1990), published by the Bureau of Educational Research, Howard University. PUB TYPE Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Advanced Placement Programs; Advanced Students; Calculus; *Educationally Disadvantaged; Educational Principles; *Enrichment Activities; High Schools; Mathematics Education; *Mathematics Instruction; *Minority Groups; Parent Participation; Parent School Relationship; School Community Relationship; Student Attitudes; Student Motivation; Student Recruitment; *Summer Programs; Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS California (Los Angeles); Esmalante (Jaime); *Jaime Escalante Math Program

ABSTRACT This article describes the Jaime Escalante Math Program, a system that in 1989 helped an East Los Angeles high school set a record by administering over 450 Advanced Placement exams, having administered only 10 tests in 1978. The article is presented in three sections. The first section describes the program, discussing origins and backgrounds: student recruitment, the curriculum, scheduling, textbooks used, past graduates as models of achievement, community resources recruitment, and teaching methods. The second section describes the fundamental principles of the Escalante Math Program. Ideas discussed include student, teacher, and parent accountability, hard work, teacher expectation, love for the students, parental involvement, mutual respect, proper nutrition, and preventing drug use. The final section, on psychology and the schools, proposes that teachers who encourage, discipline, and motivate their students can gain their willingness work and help the students overcome the obstacles to getting an education that inner-city students face. The conclusion describes a vision of mathematics education program of hard work combined with love, humor, and a recognition of "genes," the desire to learn and ability to sacrifice that young people have, that will provide an educational pipeline taking students from kindergarten through to college completion. (MDH)

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Y AVAILABLE -2. Innumeracy, the mathematical equivalentof illiteracy, is a growing and serious problem in the United States. Recentlymuch has been written about thisproblem in scholarly journals, thepopular press, and periodicals The statistics arestagger- ing Compared to allother industrialized nations, theUnited States ranks near the bottom in math and scienceachievement In today's technological age, numeracy isessential for the economic well-being of the country In the high-techfuture of the 21st century, notonly economics but also possibly our nation's verydemocratic foundation may rest on theability of our children to compete in anincreasingly global marketplace Mathskills and technical knowledge required to participatein such a society willbe far beyond what is needed even today In light of this challenge, an articleby a fellow NEA member, JaimeEscalante, is a timely offeringIt illustrates how an individualteacher can play a part in vastly improving our students' performanceBecause of the artick's priority, utility, and commonsense, the NEAhas endorsed it and reprinted itfor the use of our membership On these pages, you willfind articulation of ideas that areessential to quality teaching The excellence in teaching that ourteachers bring to the task has neverbefore been so crucial to our nation'sfuture There are many laimeEscalantes among our membershipSome of these men and womenhave yet to realize the full measure of theirtalent and potential We hopethis article will provide all teachers with useful and practical ideas Keith Geiger President Nohow! Education Association The Jaime Escalante Math Program

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Jaime Escalank Mathematics Departmaa, Garfield High Sckool, Jack Dinnann, Associate Director, Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education

In recent years I have been deluged with Associate Director of the Foundation for questions from interested teachers, com- Advancements in Science and Education munity leaders, and parents about my (EASE), to assist in the preparation of this success in teaching mathematics to poor manuscript Mr Dirmann and EASE have minority childrenI am not a theoretician, been essential to the success of my pro- my expertise is in the classroom and my gram for more than five years first commitment is to my students Together, we will address two basic Nonetheless, I am willing to share my questions opinions on this subject ii the hope that 1 "What exactly is the Escalante Math they might be helpful to other profession- Program in East Los Angeles," als in the field of education I am hopeful this article will provide answersI have 2 "What fundamental principles called upon my colleague, lack Dirmann, underlie my approach to teaching,"

BEST6OPYAYALALE tangible and inexorable deadline the I. THE ESCALANTE second week of May Over the years I MATH PROGRAM have found it easy to focus student attention on this challenge and its veryreal Origins: The Game rewards of possible college credit and of Education advanced placement in college mathematics courses In 1952, while still an undergraduate in Not all students who take the test score La Paz, Bolivia, I Legan teaching a "three' or better,which enables them to mathematics and physics first at one receive college credit at over 2,000 high school, then a second, and finally a colleges and universities, but chose who thirdI found early in my career that sit for the exam have already wonthe real children learn faster when learning is fun, game being played.They are winnerN when it is a game and a challenge From because they have met a larger challenge the beginning, I cast the teacher in the than any single examination could present role of the "coach" and the students in the They have attained a solid academic role of the 'team"I made sure they knew background in basic skills, especially math that we were all working together In La and science, and are prepared to move on Paz, in the fifties and early sixties, our and compete well against the challenges "opponent" was the annual secondary of both higher education and lifeMany school mathematics competition Our of my former studi-nts who have gone on goal: to reign as the champion overall to college mathematics orcalculus courses the local schools often call me "Kimo,' they say ("Kim& In the eighties and nineties, in the is the shortened,student-preferred barrio of East Los Angeles, my students spelling of "Kemo Sabe," the nickname I chant, "De-fense, De-tense, De-fense" (in was given by oneof my gang kids in the this context hard work, holding upunder 1970s), "this was easy after your course pressure, not giving your"opponent" an As the number of students enrolled in inch), or "Beat ETSI" as they head tothe my program has grown tobetweea 140 proctored exam room for the Super Bowl and 200 studying calculus alone, Ad- of tests the Advanced Placement (AP) vanced Placement at Garfield High Examination The ETS (Educational School has also exploded in other techni- Testing Service) AP Calculus test is the cal subjects such as physics, chemistry, most difficult of all the examinations biology, and compuwrs Many of my administered nationally to secondary students now take two, three, and some . school students and it gets tougher every times even four AP tests in varioussub. with year Less than 2%of high school seniors iects in 1989 the school set a record nationally even sit for the exam Of all over 450 AP testsadministered in 1(-) the Hispanics attempting the test nation- different subjects By comparison, in wide, 25%-30% originate from my 1978, the year before I started myAP program, only 10 tests wereadministered program Few students today have not been for the entire school and not one student lectured on the necessity and importance sat for the calculus examination of a good education, but the dictum "get a good education" maybe too nebulous a Recruiting Students message for easilydistracted young minds Their focus easily shifts to other A growing number of junior high morc pressingprublems, particularly when they are living in poverty TheAl' school students who wish to be part of test provides theformidable outside the program enroll early and participate "opponent*" that galvanizes the students in their first math class during the summer and teacher in a united charge toward a program at East LosAngeles College

52 (ELAC) between their ninth grade year teachers would tel me, 'Take Johnny, he's (last year of junior high school) and their gifted in math," I would almost always tenth grade year. Thus, by the time these ignore them. Such a recommendation was students enter the tenth grade they are almost a guarantee that I would pass that prepared to take geometry. Currently, six child over If the child was in fact gifted, Escalante program students are studying I figured he or she would need less help math analysis at a local junior high school from the teacher Secondly, few of the By the time they reach the twelfth grade, "gifted" were appreciably different from they will be ready for third-year college the "average" except in their ability to Instead, I math. score high on tracking tests often chose the rascals and kids who were I have been able to reach down into the "discipline problems," as well as those who three feeder junior high schools and simply liked math I found that the "class establish an unofficial recruiting network cut-ups" were often the most intelligent, within their math departments We are hut were extremely bored by poor teach- constantly trying to pick out promising ing and disillusioned by the perceived kids with ganas (gams translates loosely dead-end that school represented for from Spanish as "desire," or the "wish to them Sometimes they showed themselves succeed") while they are yet junior high to have the most ganas whentheir learning school students, so that thcy can enter the light" finally switched on program before or just as they arrive at Garfield. I do not recruit these students by reviewing test scores or grades, nor are The Curriculum they necessarily among the "gifted" or on some kind of "high IQtrack," because A student must have taken and passed believe that tracking is unworkable and the following courses to arrive at exam unproven as a guaranteethat students will day and be able to take the AP exam be channeled into the program of classes Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra H, hest suited to them My sok criterion for Trigonometry/Math Analysis, Calculus acceptance in this program is thatthe AB (first-year college), and/or Cakolus student wants to be a part of it and BC (second-year college calculus) (Some sincerely wants to learn mathI tell my students also take Analytic Geometry or students, 'The only thing you need to a Pre-Calculus classduring the program ) have for my program and you must Typically, if the student has not previously bring it every day is ganas "If motivated had any algebra, Algebra I is taken during properly, any student can learn mathe- the first year of high schoolIn the matics Kids are not born as bad students, summer after the tenth grade,students however, the school and the student's master geometry in an intensiveeight- home and community environment can week summer program at EIAC Algebra combine to produce a bad student The II is mastered in the eleventh grade, then, teacher is the crucial point in this equa- most often, MathAnalysis/Trigonometry tionIt is up to the teacher to bring out is conquered during the summerbetween the ganas in each student the eleventh and twelfth grades In their Today, the junior high school teachers senior year, students take Advanced in our locale have a much better ideaof Placement Calculus AB if a student what we need for our program I often tell er,tered high school Algebra I com- the following story to show the difference pleted, then the above curriculum is between the attitude of junior high school advanced one year, allowing the student math teachers when I first started teaching to take Advanced PlacementCalculus BC at Garfield ten years ago andtheir attitude (the equivalent of second-year college today In 1979, when junior high school calculus) during the twelfth grade then we're not going to qualify for Title Scheduling I moneyI had to fight many protracted battles to convince others that the more In effect, as one can see from the list expensive books were not an extrava- of required math courses in the program, gance, but a vital necessityFinally, one these students are cramming six years of assistant principal, whom I willalways math into three calendar yean To ac- remember fondly, told me she would work complish this 11113 their young lives with to get the books for my program mathematicsencourage them ,o spend I believe that math teaching should be extra time studying. Fromthe day they peppered with lively examples, ingenious enter my program they areexpected demonstrations of math at work, and and provided the opportunity to linkages between math principles and greatly accelerate their exposure to their real-world applications Texts which mathematics amplify on these kinds of demonstrations This intense scheduling enables stu- are the best for use, in my programIn dents to overcome their previous lack of sdecting texts,I also work hard to avoid academic preparation and poor study those that might intimidate my students habits The net result is that they spend with arcane descriptions In the minds ef much more time being exposed to, and students who have had little succ?ss in doing, math probkms than is customary academics, terms such as nalgebre or fora high sch9ol student and not just "calculus" can present an image of diffi- more than trIst otherstudents in inner culty, complexity, and potential failure city schools, my classes look morelike Often, I must persuade or cajole non- what one would expect to find at any of cooperative or frightened snadents into the most highly ranked public or private believing that they can do well with these schools in the country subjects A text that does not offer a gradual approach, which enables the Textbooks student to understand one concept fully before going on to the next, makes my The demand fr ir quality texts has been sob much more difficult a cornerstone of theIscalante Math I try to reduce the foreboding image of Program In the seventies I realized that higher math by using texts which define all the technical terms as they are first my students would be heldhack forever unless they had superior textbooks, so presented The student's confidence is searched for the best and tested many holstered as his or her knowledge of the different texts When I found what I subject increases needed, I demanded these texts for my Currently, my calculus students each students Because the cost of such texts have four textbooks Caltulus by teithold was often far greater thanthe school t which is an especiallyvaluable text fo allowance, I soon found myself in conflict its discussiim of limits;, Anal:yinGrointhy with the administrationI also received and Colculu> by Thomas (especially good my first introduction toTitle IWhen I for word problems, differential equations, went to one administrator toask for the and rate of change problems), Calculuswith textbooks I feltI needed to raise the Analybc (romory by Anton (especially for students' Scott", to even the minimum vectors). and How to Prowl" forAllot:mt.,' standard of competency in th: routine Platrinnft haft:motion Maihnnatics by State and District mandatory testing, I was Barron The ideal textbook also has a told, 'No, laime, those books do nut tremendous number of practice problems qualify for Title IThey are clearly not because practice, practice, and more remedialThis same individual also told practice is demanded from eachstudent me, in complete seriousness,"Iaime, if Finding enough practice pnthlems has you get Netter test scores forthese kids always Seen difficult, thus I am currently 4 developing my own texts and practice math is being used in such settings, As I workbooks for class and homework use show off one of my proud graduates on that are consistent with the lesson plans the job at IPL working on the Magellan of the program space probe project, I tell mystudents, "You can be a big shot, too "The graduate, radiating confidence, is using an under- Past Graduates as standing of math to make a good living Models of Achievement and, at the same time, enjoying a challeng- ing career By exposing the students to the success stories of Escalante Math Program Recruiting Community graduates and showing that there is an upward route to well-paid, fulfilling Resources careers throughhigher education, I immerse the students in the concept that Since 1983, there has been a significant they, too, can succeed not only in high increase in the support that I receive from school, but in college as well This other math teachers, the community encouragement is extremelyvital for some college, and philanthropic resources who, before they came to my program, Initially,I had to recruit individuals who may have never evenconsidered the idea believed in my efforts In the beginning I of higher education identified people who had the potential I encourage former students to become to help the programFor example, in the involved with my current classes mid-1970s a young math teacher at Graduates who have gone on to complete Garfield, Ben Jimenez, was about to leave college and are now successfully employed the profession because his students were are invited to comeback and talk to the out of controlI helped Ben learn to students Before they do, I tell them, "Talk discipline and control his classes, and to the kids for about ten minutesand cover from then on he was free to concentrate the following four points. ( I) the Escalante on developinghis skills as a teacher Program was tough hut it helped make Today Ben jimenez is an award-winning college easier, (2) the amount of money teacher He contributes many students to you are earningtoday, (3) tell them to the total number of AP Calculus passes listen to Escalante, their coach, and (4 each year and is a vital member of the you were a top studentwhen you were in team class " After the graduate has beenthanked When I was unable to teach summer for the speech and has exited, I ask my school on the campus of the high school students, What did she (or he) say," The in the early eighties I found a newhome students tell me, then I look at them with for my summer program at East Los mock chagrin and say, "No way You are Angeles College, which is located within better than she (or he) was You arcthe walking distance of GarfieldI first gained best; you can do it You can go to any the support of the private sector in 1983, college that you want when the ARCO Foundation became a also arrange two or three field tops major partner in the summer program at each year to get the students out to ELAC K-12 public school education for high-tech labs or industrial sites, such as minorities is a top priority in theARCO the let Propulsion Laboratory OK) in Foundation's philanthropic program ) Pasadena, where math is employed daily Since that time, ARCO's support has been in many different kinds of excitingiobs the financial bedrock of the summer The fact that minorities can get these jobs, program Last year theNational Science and that higher education creates oppor- Foundation (NSF) joined with ARCO and tunities for larger financial rewards, is as made a three-year, private-sector partner- much the lesson as the demonstration that ship grant that will extend through 1992 5'- Those funds have enabled me to greatly common sense workable methods.I expand the number of students, grade believe we teachers should devote more levels, and teachers in the summer pro- time identifying and implementing gram at ELAC Through theNSF grant I techniques that have withstood the acid have recruited four junior high school and test of classroom performance and less four elementary school teachers for the time "experimenting" in our classes If we summer program. These teachers joined were to study the methods of a hundred me in small seminars last summ T to learn very effective teachers, my guess is that how to motivate students in tl c K-9 grade we would find their approaches to be levels to study math rather simple and direct, with many I enlisted the support of EASE in 1984 common denominators As for myself, I Their efforts have resulted in vital ele- only use those ideas which have proven ments such as copiers, special supplies, worthwhile by demonstration and which audiovisual aids, computers, tutor awards, I have testedI test everything that comes transportation and lunches for students to mc before using it, no matter how during extra study periods, tee-shirts, vaunted the authority who invented it, caps, team jackets, and scholarships and I strongly suggest that other teachers FASE's support has expanded into a series do the same I always have to laugh when of motivational videotapes, called "FU- someone suggests that my program is TURES," which feature real classroom dependent upon one teacher's personalie, scenes of my teaching These tapes will (my own) and could never serve as a rnodd be available to a'l schools in 1990 through for use in other schools It lust shows how the Public Broadcasting SystemI know tar away we have drifted from the funda- that I can call EASE at any time, day or mentals of teaching night, and get whatever I need for my program EASE raises funds for the pro- The Team Approach gram each year from a wide range of companies and foundations including I greatly admire the disdpline of ARCO, Xerox, IBM, GTE, and the athletic teams and the devotion to practice Carnegie Corporation of New York and drilling that sports, the drill team, and Many other donors, both large and small, the school band are able to command from also ensure that my program is empowered American high school students I often use to serve the maximum number of minority professional sports superstars as examples students of successful self-discipline, outstanding performance, the will to win, persistence TEACHING METHODS in the practice of their skills, and other qualities The walls of my room are Since my first year of student teaching covered with posters of sports figures in in Bolivia I have klt an obligation to make action Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, myself a better teacher and to profit from Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdulqabbar, my mistakes As anundergracivate I was and Babe Ruth are but a few examples closely watched, apprenticed, and lkfore class, my AP Team has "warm-ups" critiqued by an experienced teacher thand clapping and foot stomping to the Under his critical eye,I abandoned rock song "We Will Rock You," played unworkable ideas and came to understand over my rose loudspeakers) They wear the importance of becoming much more classy satin team jackets, caps, and tee- communicative with the students and not shirts, and their "practice schedule' is as simply working at the blackboard all day rigorous as that of any championship This kind of practice teaching under a football team These are all part of my proven teacher is vital effort to make math fun, a team activity There are many traditional and practical I believe that if I do not make mathematics teaching methuds which are based on a lively challenge to my students,then the subject will continue to seem dry andstale uted to other team members aredesignated assistants) They as it has for so manydecades, indelibly as 'Ms" (teaching efforts from linked to images of pocket slide rulesand receive nominal pay for their from "brainy" kids funds that Jack Dirmann and I raised I often use language, including terms the private sector In this way, my students from sports, to create a sense of action, can earn money tutoringmath and forego comradery, and competition amongthe minimum wage work in local restaurants, metal students. For example, the APCalculus dry cleaning establishments, or the "Olympics "When plating shops This also ensures aready test is referred to as who a student fails testafter test, he or she is pool of more experienced students "intensive care unit" can "buddy up" with youngerstudents and sent to "ICU"the An which is a special, less desirable section help them through the difficult spots of the classroom Students inICU must additional benefit to the older students is the attend special after-school study sessions the opportunity to Salle and to repay the help that they until their test scores improveUnder. program for some of standably, students are highly motivated themselves received, as well as gain to perform their way outof ICU To exposure to the joysof teaching another simplify and enliven the image ofmath and seeing the light of understanding turn and to soften the initial impactof new on Much to mydelight, several graduates math concepts while making them easier of the Escalante Math Programhave to remember, I sometimesinvent terms of pursued careers in education my own I usefun or commonplace substitutes for real math termsuntil the Humor student's familiarity makes the actual term less imposing The following are some learned early in my career that teach. examples of "Escalantese" at least, it should befun probkm's ing is fun "face mask" a mistake at the Students learn better when they are beginning having a good time While I teach respect "gravy" simple substitution and discipline and I demand a greatdeal "marching band" look at the example in of hard work from my students,I always the book and follow it exactly try to do it in a waythat is fun fuse toys, 'green light" easy factoring tell lots of jokes, and let the kids partici- difficult factoring, stop and "red light" pate A teacher must enjoyhis or her work analyze and convey that joy to the students "secret agent" the minus sign infront I have found that humor carries ideas of a parenthesis which has the power to much better than a grave monotone inside change the signs of the numbers because it makes its recipients far more straight "rifle pass from Magic lohnson" willing to receive what the teacher has to line sayIn fact,I have heard that some "three-point shot" parabola students enroll in my program just because "skyhook from Kareem Abdul-labbar" they heard it was fun, despite havinglittle coefficient parabola with a different initial interest in mathematics That dims "illegal defense" you cannot divide by not bother me,however usually, the zero interest will follow The team concept goes beyondjackets. warm-up routines,and preparing for the "Olympics"I often break the students Classroom Organizing and into groups to solvelecture problems by Planning pushing their desks together insmall enclaves After school, thestudents My preparation for my classes is intense almost always work in teams of Experienced students who have contrib. and I must maintain a high level 16 organization to back it upI have a row Hard Work of file cabinets filled with color-coded sections Every lesson plan for each day Students who enter the Escalante Math of the year is filed in sequence; every Program must sign a contract which binds subject is coveredI prepare each quiz, them to participation in the summer homework assignment, and practice programs held at ELAC, strict completion session before the school year even of daily homework, and attendance at begins, so I save a great deal of time during Saturday morning and after-school study the year This allows me to spend time sessions The students' parents are also and energy working out a more important required to sign the contractI sign it as problem exactly how to present a particu- well, obligating myself to bring piaas lar concept and spark interest, considering every day and to do everything possible the personalities and preparation of my to help the student succeed students and the chemistry of a particular The key to my success with minority class youngsters is a very simple time-honored tradition hard work, and lots of it, for teacher and student alike To avoid merely stating a cliche and having its II. FUNDAMENTAL relation to my success overlooked, I will provide some examples PRINCIPLES OF THE One can find many of my students still ESCALANTE MATH working in my classroom (a converted music hall) at 4 00, 5 00, or even 6 00 PROGRAM p m each weekday and as early as 7 00 a m in the morning No student with a Accountability question or a confusion is allowed to go home with it unresolved "Come after school and see me at 3 00 p m ," is the Teaching has its products, as does any answer for the student who is falling human endeavor High on the list of behind, who did not do his or her home- products of good teaching are graduates work,r who is having difficulty with that who know their subjects and who are well day's assignment Because I am willing to prepared for higher education, or who are put in the time, my students, -ne by one, ready to contribute in the work force develop a similar willingness :to' on, they Further, these graduates should have learn to rnjoy the subject of mathematics sufficiently strong learning skills to be able and happily volunteer to devote their free to educate themselves, and reeducaw time to more practice themselves if need be, throughout their The movie Stand and Delierr brought lifetimes in this technologically changing home several important points first, no world If graduates of my program are not one expected severely disadvantaged able to do this, then I am responsible I barrio students to achieve academic may not be solely responsible for their excellence The movie also revealed that success or failure, but that is the attitude some educators hold the false and racist with which I anroach my work The idea that Hispanic students are not as qudents and their parents arc also respon- sniart as some others, and that they shy sible We must hold these parties the away from courses that require hard work teachers, the parents, and also the school It also showed how an even more insidious administration 100% accountable for prejudice leads to a prevailing opinion the product, good or had, that comes out that requiring academic excellence from of our schook We can do better than we poverty.,evel students presents a grave are doing today risk to their "fragile" self-esteem Such a demand, according to the nay.sayers, professional prospects. I might have to would be one stresFor too many for young moderate my views, even though in such lives already bowed under crushing schools the percentage of students who poverty, inequities, andhopelessness go on to pros is still verysmall From How could they be expected to cope, where I sit, however, I know that taking I am happy to say that our program has AP Calculus has a lot more to do with my proved that logic to be faults, When students' future success than any ball or students of any race, ethnicity, or eco- baton a student will ever pick up nomic status are expected to work hard, they will usually rise the occasion, Demand devote themselves to the task, and do the work If we expect kids to be losers they I do not give up on my students and I will be losers, if we expect them to be expect them not to give up I do notallow winners they will he winners They rise, them to be losersI demand that my or fall, to the level ofthe expectations of students perform their assigned tasks and those around them, especially their I accept no excuses why those tasks cannot parents and their teachers be done If a student continuously fails to I am adamant about the importance of perform, I roll up my sleeves and find out math in the developing lives of these what is behind that failure At times the of young men and women ahe maiooty cause lies outside of the classroomIn such my students are female)Not only do I cases when it is obvious thatthe child is demonstrate a passion for the subiect,I really willing, and when there is no way also preach its significance in their futures that he or she can overcome the obstacle Where is the money'," I ask my students alone, help may involve working with the it is in physics, computers, biology, family, the family's minister or priest, or chemistry, and electronics What is the other assistance agencies language for all of these subjects^ The language is mathematics and if you know the language you can do anything Love I further tell them, "Ill make a deal with you you sign the contractand I will teach I exhibit deep love and caring for my you math You can go tocollege and sit studentsI have no exclusive claim to in the first row, becauseyou're going to these attnbutes, they are as natural as know more than anybody breathing to most parents and teachers I admit that 1 am iealous of my students' The power of love and concern in chang- time and the distractions which compete ing young lives should notbe overlooked with my math program I discourag: them A few months ago I surveyed a large from filling their schedules with TV, number of students in each of my six sports, or other forms of "goofing off I classesI asked them, What do you want chide them for the headsets which pipe from your parents" There was a variety strains of "heavy metal" guitars into their of answers, but those that appeared most ears when they shouldbe working on often really surprised me and made me mathI play good "defense" for my think twice They were program, too When I have totackle II) unconditional love, that is, with no aspiring athletes who want to dropcal- strings attached, culus so that they can go to football or (2) peace at home, marching band practice, my argument is 3) to be understood, simple in the 16 years that I have been 14)trust, and the freedom of choice that at Garfield, not o le graduatehas gone on such trust implies to make a living playingfootball, basket- I bdieve that unconditional love must ball, or baseball Of course, if I were at a be extended to each student This happens school renowned for turning out top when a teacher loves to motivate and 9 12 teach the difficult students as well as the tional Safety and Health inspectors and good onesI make sure that my students the place was shut down However, know that I believe in them I know that without his part-time job the kid was flat the strong intention I communicate to broke so we made him a tutor and gave them to succeed must he great enough to hirn a little stipend. He graduated from overcome the combined negativityof high school and is going to college today their previous failures, the prejudices of The communication of love to one's others who predict their likely future students gots further than just caring and failures, and the lack of preparation ir listeningIt also means that I must bc mathematics with which they are bur- wlling to repeat ati idea, concept, or term dened after nine years in our education as many times as neededfor the student I have to make sure that system to understand it I am extremely critical of the teacher every kid is listening to meand watching who lifelessly copies assignments taken me when I teach, sothat they do not miss perfunctorily from the teacher's edition of a thing There is noperfect approach that the textbook onto the board each day works for every student, so I am continu- Such a teacher is letting the students down ally developing new ways of conveying by failing to bring life to the classroom ideas That is one reason why I spend so Kids get so bored with this kind of teacher much time at the job to ensure that what 'hat they soon come to view school as I have said to the group is actually under- merely a jail sentence with kctures stood by each individual, I fed obliged to Similarly, a teacher must be a lively communic:te !,) each kid personallyI am listener and work to understand what the always looking for ways to make things students are thinking and saying This easier for them to understand and looking requires a genuine interest in thestudents for gimmicks or toys to motivate or to and a willingness to listen As parents and demonstrate an ideaI can't kst the kids teachers, we must make the extra effort be bored with or disinterested in mathe- to extend ourselves, teenagers canmake matics too many other things in life themselves very difficult to reach at times are dullI find out what bugs students and You would be surprised how much one what switches on their learning light learns in this way about their language, learn their dreams, and I believe that I am music, problems, embarrassments, and here to assist each of them to realize these aspirations dreams I had a student last year who was doing poorly and who was frequently nauseous, Parental involvement exhausted, and apathetic in classI had no idea what was wrongand, even worse, The school alone cannot he expected he would not share with me what was to educate the childrenParents must bothering himI refused to simply shrug help This is more difficult now when it off with "I don't have time" and give up both parents work to ;upport the family, on him One dayafter school I decided one or more parents is missingfrom the to follow him and see what was upI found home, or the parents do not have a that the student had a secret part-time job personal belief in the value of education working in a fur cleaning establishment for their children However. I have had Every day, without knowing what he was great fortune in mobilizingthe majority doing, this 16-year-old boy was mbbing of parents in my community toward the toxic solvents used in the cleaning process common purpose ofhelping their chil- into his hands This was the source ofhis dren Parents must sign the same contract malaise that their son or daughter signs, pledging I threatened to report the owner of thc that they will uphold their part of the deal cleaners to the authorities, yet nothing At the first sign of any trouble with a changed Finally. 1 called the Occupa- student, I am on the phone ic die parents .1sking for their help At night or on the time even gave the gang leaders keys to weekends I often visit Parents to enlist his office! Later, a new, hard-nosed their support for the unusual scheduling principal, Henry Gradillas, decided to requirements of my program standup He drove off the gangs, and the To succeed, a program as intense as dealers, and cleaned up the graffiti mine must have MO% support from the I often have said that I am trying to give parents While most parents arethrilled my students two things "motsand wings to have a teacher show so much interest I feel a great responsibility to teach my and welcome the opportunity to do students respect for values that will sus;ain anything for their children, sometimes my their family: their school, their communi efforts to help the student succeed take ty, their race, their culture andtheir me beyond the usual parent-teacher country, to a large extent,students relationship One time I even scolded a discover their cultural heritage in the parent who was drinking too muchand classroom !often have the class salute the harassing his child "You cannot do that," American flagI teach the kids manners I told him "It is interfering with your if they lack them As teachers,I believe daughter's math class She is unprepared that we must ask ourselves who is going and does not do her homework Math to show these children rightfrom wrong comes first as long as she studieswith me, it we do nor I don't merely teach math, so you will have to stopdrinking " More / teach respect for American democratic than once, this startling communication values and instituuons such as the right of priorities has had a salutary effect on a and duty to vote domestic problem that, left unhandkd, We owe it to our succeeding genera- would have threatened the student's tions to ensure that the studentslearn ability to concentrate and learn When these things and become full participatory the local press reported recently that I citizens of our country With these "roots" might be lezving Garfield, partly due to firmly in place, they are more likely to what I felt was a disappointing lack of devPlop "wings" to success, even great- support for academics on the partof some ness parents, I was surprised butgratified to see scores of parents, alongwith former Nuo-ition and current students and other members Proper nutriti,An is very important of the community, come to the school to Proper daily nutrition is a proven, com- demonstrate their support for me to mon-sense practice which mustbe culti- continue vated as part of any successful educational programI believe that if more attention Respect and Values: was paid to what kids eat and to ensuring that they were properly nourished before and during class each day, we wo'ild see In the inner city, the decision to make real dividends in student performance the school a safe haven of learning must everywhere If I find that my students are be renewed each year by teachers, not eating well due to poverty athome, parents, and administratorsalike Only bad dietary habits, ignorance, or laziness, thus can we achieve drug-free schools I try to remedy the situationI have raised whose mission is solely to teach the money from private, corporate,and students The failure to do this was federal sources to ensure that my students epitomized by the situation at Garfield eat properlyI give students lunch coupons when I first arrivedGraffiti, crime, teen or money for food; if necessary,I call their pregnancy, and drugs wereprevalent parents During the summer Ispot-check Drug dealers and gangs haunted the halls lunch trays to ensure my students are In an effort to promote understanding, eating wholeseome foods and not just and as a sign of trust, the principal at the junk 14 man or woman, that students willhit an Preventing Drug Use insurmountable barrier, that the road to success is engineered by fateand paved Drug use is a barrier to classroom with lucky charms. performance which deserves the attentior Students, by definition, can learn to of administrators, parents, anti teachers overcome any barrier they will everface I do not condone the use of dtugs of any By definition "Ganas is all I need" is the kind by my or other students including motto I give my students I tell them that cigarettes, alcohol, or school-Amink- once they itave ganas, learning is easy tered Ritahn, as well as marijuana. IS!), "Calculus need not be made easy," says and cocaine Our schools need to work the sign in my classroom "It is easy " harder to educate our children on the also have a sign Inderneath the classroom dangers of abusing themselves with these clock (because my students have a ten- substances Education on the harmful dency to look at the clock) That sign physical, mental, and spiritual effects of reads: "DETERMINATION + HARD dnigs will go a long way to bolster stu- WORK + DISCIPLINE = THE WAY dents' determination to stay away from TO SUCCESS Whenever I catch a them student gazing at the clock. I ask gently, "What does it say" Invariably the student PSYCHOLOGY AND will insist, "I was reading the sign, sir, not THE SCHOOLS kioking at the clock" at which point respond with, "Oh, isee " Then I will ask "Adjusting" to Failure them again, indulgently, "What does it The children of the barrio have enor- say'" mous obstacles to overcome inorder to So what does all this have to do with get an education Most of thefamilies of psychology' Although I have never the children I teach at Garfield have studied the subject of psychology inten- incomes below the poverty line The sively, in my experience, two major majority of the parents have not been to effects of the influenc: of psychology in college frequently, Mom and Dad have education have beer., (1) to weaken the never even been to highschool and certainty of students that they can over- they may or may not fully appreciate the come the barriers they face and (21 to long-term value of education Many do obscure and skew, by the introduction of not know how to provide a supportive uncertain data and purposes, the subject atmosphere for serious study, and often of education itselfIn Bolivia, teachers they may require the child to get a job to were not trained in this subjectIn help support the family Teen pregnancy, America, where I was required to take drugs, and the stresses upon single-parent some psychology courses in order to gain homes are all terribly real problems for a teaching credential, Icould never see these students Gangs operate openly in the relationship between what was taught their neighborhoods in these classes and the purpose or activity Are my students affected by these of teaehing, tTly.:re was and still is a class barriers' Of course Are my students the called "Magic Circle" based on a vicums of these barriers' No None ot psychological approach to communica- them The educational process begins at tion which I never understood, and to this this point A woulu-be teacher who day do not ) Due to my unfamiliarity,I cannot get to this starting point inthe may speak impreciselyabout this subject, field of education should perhaps enter however, having had some success nurtur- some other field Thefuture of our ing more than one problemchild, I can children is too important to he entrusted say with equal partshumility and resolve to someone who already agreeswith the that I am disturbed by what I see as a notion that the world is bigger than the tendency to view schools as "clinics "The

1512 1 - children are in school to learn, and they dren lectured on "post-traumatic stress" can learn quite well ifteachers and coun- would take away from such incidents selors attend solely to that purpose What a hopeless state of mind it must Too often, however, I find that our engender in a child; if memories of school counselors and psychologists, in a earthquakes and bad dreams are such misguided attempt to help, accept the formidable opponents, what depths of very real disadvantagesfaced by poor apathy must engulf a child confronted by minority students as excuses fortheir the constant specter of drug abuse, gangs, failures They rush to help them "adjust" crime, poverty, illiteracy, brokenhomes, (that is, accept their limitations"), or they and racial prejudice? get them so preoccupiedwith personal Children dealt with in such an indulgent probkms that the learning objectives fashion soon learn that it is impossible to become even more inaccessible The change or improve in the face of so many "psychological" approach has been to enormous obstaclesthat are out of their make fewer demands on disadvantaged or controlI believe that the recuperative minority students This practice isactually power of young people is greatif they are quite cynical, and can be a deathblow to given a little boost in the rightdirection less their dignity and chinas So I devised a more workable (and For example, I once asked a student, expensive) remedy an educational "Where's your homework?" He said, "I remedy After the quake I gave my stu- their didn't do itI had a bad dreamI replied, dents extra homework and doubled stress" was in Escalantese, "I don't care You have got quiz load Soon "earthquake faint remembrance and to do your homework orelse you don't no more than a toward their have a ticket to see the show" (which my students were moving meant that because he did nothave his goal, far too preoccupied with the chal- daily homework assignment to deposit in lenge of math to find time to dive into the homework basket, he could not even complexesOTother exalseS gain admittance to my classroom)The Yes, the baffiers disadvantaged or but student came back later with a note from minority students face are substantial, it is the very possibility of their remaining a school counselor,who I am sure thought he was acting humanely and in the stu- trapped by them for an entire lifetime dent's best interests The note said which requires that such students be urged academic studiesIt "lohnny did not do his homework because to succeed in their may be their only way outIf students he had a bad dreamI told the kid in no uncertain terms, "You do thehomework have not been taught that they are the "victims" of their environment and that or else you get anF Period. Miraculously, the kid and :he homework appeared the they must, therefore, adjust to it, then teachers can gain their full willingness next day and he wentthrough the program to overcome whatever not with a residue of resentment,but with and strength obstacles they face Admittedly, there are accomplishment a sense of such Two years ago our class was surprised those extremely rare children with they are unable to fora few minutes by an earthquake While severe problems that I am as afraid of earthquakes as the next become successful students, hut given admiration, discipline, and encourage- person, common sensetells me that it is children will unwise to scurry around in theiraftermath ment, even "impossible" 'miracu- frightening impressionable young people sometimes surprise everyone and by asking if they are still worried about lously" begin to perform at higher levels them Thus, I refused to allow a solicitous psychologist, who was part of a team sent A Questionable Mix? in to lecture our students on"post-traumatic stress syndrome," to speak to my It is not at all clear to me that the fields kidsI imagined the lesson" which chit- of psychology and education mix well

13- Teachers teach They provide students they would be hurting these students if with the understanding and the ability to they demanded more of them at an early do something, to achieve a goal And this age Also, the idea thathigher math is teaching --- is something most people just too tough is one that is widely shared can learn to do well In my opin.on, by adults as well as children However, psychology as applied in education is still even in the first grade, studentscould be in the experimental stage We have learning much more math, and they would mystified the !earning process (for enjoy it if someone really wanted to teach teachers as well as students) by accepting them and took the time to do it psychological theories into the field of For years I have envisioned an educa- education While we know more today, tional "pipeline" for children in East L A , are we teaching better in the last 100 years, a program of mathematics training running sMce psychology undertook to clarify the from kindergarten right through to the subject of learning? I think not Teaching completion of college Last summer we is a noble profession and it has been for witnessed that dream taking shape centuriesIt can be improved, it should Today, kindergarten children in this not be alloyed community can become part of a high- In mathematics we study the fantastic ach ievement math program that graduates accomplishments of ancient cultures and up through the school levels,with support classic applications of mathematics and linkage at each successive school transi- physics The incredible achievements of tion the ancients suggest that their teachers The Escalante Math Program has had understood teaching well Perhaps we an impact on the entirestudent body at should devote more time to identifying Garfield There were no more than six and implementing teaching methods Algebra I classes when I arrived at the which get results We should teach school in 1974; today there are more than teachers workable methods of teaching 25 There were then 10 Geometry and and allow them to use any methods which Algebra II classes and now there arc nearly result in competent, happy students who 30 Certainly, the pipeline at Garfield are rapidly acquiring the knowledge and today is much wider, its students are skills they need to succeed uniformly studying more math, regardless A teacher is a teacher when he or she of whether they happen to participate in identifies a student's strengths and acti- my program or not As my programhas vates the student's potential to learn expanded and become well known Later, if teachers want to study various throughout the educational community, psychological theories regarding learning its success has filtered down to the three and behavior, then that is their preroga- iunior high schools that feed new tenth tive, hut first we should prepare teachers graders to Garfield Increasingly, enrol- who can teach ling students have had some exposure to algebra before the tenth grade This is a sign of academic improvement in our local CONCLUSION junior high school% I have described the elements of my Even though I believe that it is really programI believe that they can be very easy to teach math to youngchildren, duplicated elsewhere with ease The key, many of my students have a greatdeal of for the teacher as well as for the student, distance to make up because their first is hard work Hard work makes the future years of training in mathematics are very Wher; hard work is combined with hwe, weak Many are well below grade level in humor, and a recognition of the ganas math when they first enter high school I the desire to learn, the ability to sacrifice, do not know why this is so, sometimes the wish to get ahead that bums in our feel that educator% and parents think that young people, the stereotypesand the ir bathers begin to crumble. hnally, my thanks go to my present ARCO While I have been blessed with hard- and former students, their parents, Los working students, there are many teachers and its ARCO Foundation, East with abilities far greater than mine,who Angeles College, my fellow math Gar- work as hard as I do but have not yet been teachers, and the administrators at supported my granted threcognition they deserve. It field High School who have contributed is time they received thefull support of efforts Each of the above has their schools and their communities. Our to my successI would not have been able society depends on these peopk to to manage 500 inner-citystudents success- cuhivlte the young men and women who fully through the AdvancedPlacement will shatv: our future, and they deserve (AP) Calculus test in the last 10 years every possible assistance without the help of this team

15 July 1990

FUTURES is available for Instructional broadcast lease from the PBS Ehinentary/Secondary Service, i 2ti Brade lock Platt Alexandria, VA22314, (703)73Q-5402 (Educators should contact thr Learning Senikes I)irtctor at their local PBS station to determine if they arc airing the seriesIf not, schools, school districts, and education aaencitS with satellite dishes may lease the series from PBSIESS for instructwnal broadcast use Audievisuallnembroadcast videotapes of FUTLIRES may he purchased from l'fiS Video,i i2o Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA22314, (MI) 424-7961 FUTURES is accompanied by an extensive teacher's awde for classroom use

'This reprint was made possible, in part, by a generous grant from the Mt Kesson Foundation, Inc 1 9 This article first appeared in theJournal of Negro Education, Volume 59,Number Research, Howard 3 (Summer 1990),published by the Bureau of Educational University nea National Education Association 1201 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

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