Article Reflection No. 28 (10/15/2022)
- Mary
- Oct 15, 2022
- 2 min read
(Photo Credit: Math Seeds)
Reflection:
In the The New York Times article “How One School Avoided the Pandemic Plunge in Math Scores”, Sarah Mervosh highlights the mathematical achievements of Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. Explaining how added instructional time and altered ways of teaching has contributed to this steady line of progress in the subject, the journalist describes Franklin Elementary’s day-to-day education. According to Mervosh, the school “ added as much as 30 minutes of math instruction a day…And, for the first time, children who are behind receive math tutoring during the school day” (Mervosh 8). Concerning the method of teaching, Franklin elementary encourages learning in small groups and rotations, with teachers meeting with students for 15-20 minutes at a time. Despite the progress at Franklin, the article also remembers to touch on the socio-economic disparities that notably influence education informing the reader that “lower-income students at Franklin trail their higher-income peers, and Hispanic students lag behind white students” (Mervosh 47).
This article is one of many that embodies the reason why I love reading them: it shows the different aspects of the topic. It provides insight, supported by factual evidence, as to why things may be the way they are as well as why things are not the way things should be.
Reading of the fruitful endeavors of those who strive to make high-quality education a reality makes me happy. As stated in the article, what may feel like small changes come through with dedicated effort. Those changes may be reasonably difficult to accept, as shown by the passionate teachers who initially felt controlled when they were told of the changes that were to be made in their own classrooms. Everything happens for a reason, and it is prudent to consider various perspectives before doing anything that may affect others for better or for worse!