THEY HAD 5 APPLES: WHAT’S PREVENTING US FROM INTEGRATING QUEER THEORY INTO CLASSROOMS

Abstract

How can we help queer students maximize their learning in math classrooms? Previously,researchers have proposed utilizing different aspects of queer theory: adding queer representationinto curricula (i.e., "Jason's dads bought him a $28 pair of skis"), queering social norms (such as a school allowing male students to wear dresses), queering math as a field (by breaking down theassumptions that we make about math), and asking students to solve social justice issues using math (such as using data to see if queer students at their school are bullied more than other students and, if so, coming up with an action plan about how to stop it). All of these methods fail to consider one critical factor: the classroom environment in which teachers and schools will implement them. An approach that may be successful in one environment may not be successful in a different environment. In this thesis, I will discuss why the classroom environment is a crucial consideration in our endeavor to promote queer students' achievement.