Page 30 - Mathematics GRADE 9, DE-STREAMED (MTH1W)

the context of systemic oppression and racism that many Ontario students navigate daily. Research has shown that educator bias can negatively affect the evaluation of social-emotional learning skills in relation to particular groups of students; for example, Indigenous students; Black and other racialized students; students with special education needs and disabilities; and students otherwise marginalized.
At the same time, there is strong evidence that teaching transformational social-emotional learning skills at school, when implemented in an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory, culturally responsive and relevant way, can contribute to students’ overall health and well-being and to successful academic performance. Developing social-emotional learning skills also supports positive mental health, as well as students’ ability to learn and experience academic success. Learning related to the overall expectation in this strand occurs in the context of learning related to the other six strands, and the focus is on intentional instruction only, not on assessment, evaluation, or reporting.
In order for SEL to be effective, teaching and learning approaches must consider and address the lived realities of students, including the ways in which educator biases affect students’ experiences in the classroom. Approaches to support SEL instruction must be mediated through authentic and respectful conversations about students’ lived realities. These realities may include the inequities students negotiate inside and outside the classroom, educator biases that perpetuate systemic racism, historical and intergenerational trauma related to the education system, institutional and interpersonal discrimination, and harassment.
Human rights principles3 and the Education Act identify the importance of creating a climate of understanding of, and mutual respect for, the dignity and worth of each person, so that each person can contribute fully to the development and well-being of their community. Human rights law guarantees a person’s right to equal treatment in education. It requires educators and school leaders
to actively prevent all discrimination and harassment and respond appropriately when they do occur, to create an inclusive environment, to remove barriers that limit the ability of students, and to provide accommodations where necessary.
Intentional Instruction
Social-emotional learning skills can be developed across all subjects of the curriculum – including mathematics – as well as during various school activities, at home, and in the community. These skills support students in understanding and applying mathematical thinking and making connections across the course that are key to learning and doing mathematics. They support all students – and indeed all learners, including educators and parents – as they develop confidence, cope with challenges, and think critically. This in turn enables students to improve and demonstrate mathematics knowledge, concepts,
3 More information on human rights in Ontario education is available in "Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education" in the main "Considerations for Program Planning" section.
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