Knowles at VCTM in Petersburg, VA

Join Knowles Staff at the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference in Petersburg, VA, June 26-27, 2026!

Presentation: Who Gets Heard? Exploring Status and Belonging in Mathematics Classrooms

By: Knowles Director Outreach & Dissemination, Dr. Ayanna Perry

Discover how status shapes participation, belonging, and access to cognitively demanding mathematics. In this interactive session, teachers will engage in a status-plotting activity to reflect on how perceived status influenced their own opportunities to learn and contribute as mathematics learners. Participants will examine how status operates in classrooms to amplify or constrain student reasoning and creativity and explore approaches to design learning environments where diverse learners’ ideas are valued and taken up. Attendees will leave with concrete steps they can take to foster inclusive classrooms that support authentic student contributions and equitable engagement in meaningful mathematics.