Chapter 9: Issues of Status and Values in the Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers

This chapter identifies issues of status that often arise in the classroom. These issues are difficult to deal with and teachers often lack the necessary tools. A professional development (PD) program for K-12 math teachers attempted to address these issues and train teachers how to recognize and to deal with them, by teaching them about community agreements, group roles and protocols for use in small groups. After two years of a PD program, teacher participants reported seeing positive results among their students. The quiet students were speaking up, while the domineering students were learning to allow equal time for all students to have a voice.