Week 5 Term 4 - HIDDEN FIGURES

Released in 2017, the film 'Hidden Figures' tells the untold story of Katherine Jonson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. Three African American woman who were the master minds behind at NASA and were given the task to help the launch into orbit of astronaut John Glenn. This untold story was and is groundbreaking in that three woman crossed gender, racial and social barriers with their achievement at NASA. 

Janelle Monae, Taraji P Henson + Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures

The term 'Hidden Figures' is unique in that it carries multiple meanings that correlate to each other. iHeart Radio writes "The title “Hidden Figures” has a double meaning, On one hand it refers to the mathematical calculations that went in to making John Glenn the first American man into space in 1962. On the other hand it describes Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three African-American NASA mathematicians who did many of those calculations." For me, the film title encompasses a meaning beyond the preface of the storyline. The people behind the numbers, the people behind the success acknowledging that behind every achievement there is someone who has helped to contribute towards it. 

Journeying with my Year 11 students this year has definitely been something else. NCEA Level 1 has always been part of our discussions especially when the Year 11's were in Year 9 and Year 10. Their journey, along with all Year 12 and Year 13 students, has been tossed and turned with the pandemic and the lockdowns have had an impact on their progress. For some the nature of 2020 has created barriers to their learning, for others this 'unprecedented time' has given them leverage to rise above and overcome any barriers to their learning. The later is something that I have found myself drawn to - perseverance. One thing that I really admire about the Katherine, Dorothy and Mary is their sheer perseverance to complete their duty but also their resilience and graciousness - their character - amidst the gender and racial lines that were against their favor. This is the type of character trait that I aspire to have in my own career, my own practice and something that I hope to encourage my learners with, especially my Year 11 students. 

'Hidden Figures' is more than just a recount of untold story. It is a nod to the unsung hero. It is an acknowledgement of the woman whose work captured the attention of the world, ironically the world were fixated on the astronaut John Glenn unbeknownst the team, the women behind the achievement . It was Katherine, Dorothy and Mary who were unpacking, calculating and sharing the 'hidden figures' that would help launch John Glenn into orbit. When I reflect on my Year 11 data and see the progress that they have made I understand, appreciate and acknowledge that behind every number is a story. For some it is a story of determination, for other's their story has been cut short due to having to leave school to work. For some it is a story of wanting to make their parent's proud or to tick off a goal. For others it is a story of wanting to achieve something as a response to the loss they have experienced. I appreciate the efforts behind the 'figures' and understand that, regardless of where they are positioned in their credit progress, that there is some sense of perseverance (like the women from Hidden Figures) in their journey. 

Year 11 NCEA Level 1 data analysis breakdown as of November 6

That is my goal as the academic year comes to a close. I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved in what I would consider a turbulent year. I respect the 'hidden figures' behind each number in their credit progress. I want my students to appreciate the story behind their credit (good or bad). I hope that they take ownership of it and continue to pursue their goal to achieve and achieve well. That they continue to move through regardless of whatever is going (the events of 2020 has proven that a pandemic is not an excuse to stop learning). That they know that in this life, we are all in a season of learning, creating, sharing, building and growing.