Today’s episode explores the challenges faced by Gestalt Language Processors (GLP) in traditional mathematics education, particularly in Algebra II. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that standardised testing and common teaching methods, like Pólya's four steps and “productive struggle,” often fail GLP students because these approaches demand an analytic understanding of problems from the outset, which doesn't align with how GLPs process information. Instead, Dr. Hoerricks proposes a new model—Enter, Anchor, Shape, Solve, Retell—that emphasises beginning with a holistic understanding or “story” of a problem before breaking it down. This alternative approach aims to make mathematics accessible and engaging for GLP students by offering a “different doorway” into the subject, rather than mislabeling them as lazy or incapable. She advocates for teachers to become “cartographers of absence,” creating inclusive classrooms through narrative and resonant examples that honor GLPs’ natural way of learning. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks, an AuDHD GLP herself, posits that mathematics should be an invitation and a “circle of belonging,” not a gatekeeper that excludes diverse learners.
Here’s the link to the full article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/cartographer-of-absence-rethinking
Let me know what you think.
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