Love and Permanence

This chapter introduces the virtuous pursuits of love and permanence and how they may connect to mathematics teaching in the elementary classroom. The chapter begins with a practical example involving the author’s experiences of these virtues in a mathematics intervention lesson. Then underlying philosophies and research regarding how love and permanence have propelled human flourishing are presented. The chapter then describes how teachers may build a classroom culture around these virtues including practical examples focused on lived experiences of students as well as how to develop the core practice of originating instructional designs with love and permanence. The chapter concludes with an examination of responsive teaching practice, referred to as professional noticing, organized around an example task and interactions and reflective questions to guide teachers’ thinking in these areas.