S2 E4: Black Boys & Social Justice in Mathematics, with Lybroan James
Welcome back to season two of Teaching STEM #4Real! Today, we are excited to welcome Lybroan James to the podcast! While it may not be the legendary basketball player, this Lybroan James is a legend in mathematics education.
Lybroan James attended UCLA where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics/Economics and a Master of Education from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Having taught for 15 years, Mr. James saw the inequities in educational opportunities which ignited his passion to support the most underserved, disenfranchised group in public schools - young students of color. Mr. James designs and presents curricula and trains teachers on how to effectively instruct students of color. His company, STEMulate Solutions, addresses common core state standards (with an emphasis on STEM) and issues of equity, cultural competence, and student engagement. Lybroan's unconventional approach led to North High School raising state math scores for African-American students by 26.4% in one year. He has trained and coached mentors from 34 charter schools to support over 100 new teachers. He has also designed and presented teacher training nationally in support of over 38,000 teachers on issues of equity, effective instruction and social emotional learning.
In this episode, Mr. James will discuss what shaped him into the mathematics teacher he is today, the typical American approach to mathematics, and what teachers can do to learn about Black and Latinx culture. We’ll also talk about why culturally responsive teaching is important in all schools and neighborhoods, how Lybroan coaches educators in culturally responsive teaching, and what we can do to increase the number of Black and Brown students in math and STEM. Last but not least, we’ll chat a bit about tracking, how Lybroan has had to navigate people’s perceptions of Black men throughout his life and career, and what teachers can do to make math more engaging. Keep listening to learn more from Mr. James!
Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to 4 real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction look like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real. Please visit our website for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM for real.
Lybroan James attended UCLA where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics/Economics and a Master of Education from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Having taught for 15 years, Mr. James saw the inequities in educational opportunities which ignited his passion to support the most underserved, disenfranchised group in public schools - young students of color. Mr. James designs and presents curricula and trains teachers on how to effectively instruct students of color. His company, STEMulate Solutions, addresses common core state standards (with an emphasis on STEM) and issues of equity, cultural competence, and student engagement. Lybroan's unconventional approach led to North High School raising state math scores for African-American students by 26.4% in one year. He has trained and coached mentors from 34 charter schools to support over 100 new teachers. He has also designed and presented teacher training nationally in support of over 38,000 teachers on issues of equity, effective instruction and social emotional learning.
In this episode, Mr. James will discuss what shaped him into the mathematics teacher he is today, the typical American approach to mathematics, and what teachers can do to learn about Black and Latinx culture. We’ll also talk about why culturally responsive teaching is important in all schools and neighborhoods, how Lybroan coaches educators in culturally responsive teaching, and what we can do to increase the number of Black and Brown students in math and STEM. Last but not least, we’ll chat a bit about tracking, how Lybroan has had to navigate people’s perceptions of Black men throughout his life and career, and what teachers can do to make math more engaging. Keep listening to learn more from Mr. James!
Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to 4 real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction look like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real. Please visit our website for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM for real.