In 1978, newly arrived at Teachers College from Trinidad, Eleanor Armour-Thomas encountered the famous psychologist Edmund Gordon.
鈥淚 was so anxious and befuddled,鈥� Armour-Thomas (Ed.D. 鈥�84) recalled at a recent ceremony honoring Gordon. 鈥淎nd then here comes Dr. Gordon in his dashiki and beard, and he says, 鈥榊oung lady, may I help you?鈥欌��
Today Armour-Thomas, Professor of Educational Psychology at Queens College, is an authority on mathematics learning and assessment. Often working with Gordon, now 98, she has addressed an aspect of the United States that still 鈥渂efuddles鈥� her: the prevailing 鈥渄eficit perspective鈥� of the two-tiered U.S. education system, which defines 鈥渄ifferent鈥� as 鈥渓esser.鈥�
鈥淚n Trinidad, all children had free education up to college,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e all had equal opportunities to excel.鈥�
In an ongoing quest to help teachers assess their impact, Armour- Thomas has characterized what successful learning behavior looks like.
In a 2009 study of middle school students doing group work, she and her colleagues identified 鈥渕etacognitive鈥� behaviors (conscious analyses of approaches and strategies) essential for successful problem solving. And in the textbook Becoming a Reflective Mathematics Teacher: A Guide for Observations and Self-Assessment (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), Armour-Thomas and coauthors advise new math teachers to 鈥渃ontinually question your teaching鈥� to prompt 鈥渟ustainable changes in both your thinking and classroom practice.鈥�
Yet there is one principle that Armour-Thomas has never questioned: 鈥淭hose of us with the skills to help others attain a good life have an obligation to do so. And for me, that comes from Dr. Gordon. It鈥檚 his vision of a principled life.鈥�