Math is For Everyone

We all have friends, family, coworkers, and students who suffer from FOM - fear of math. I feared math towards the end of high school and into college even though I excelled at it. I had heard so many people talk about how hard it was that I believed them.

As educators teaching any and every subject we have the ability to shape how students view math. That is a powerful role and one we should take very seriously. I would argue we all need to take an active role in teaching students math is for everyone- this shouldn't be limited to math teachers. No matter how you may view your ability to do math, you are capable of learning math, teaching math, and building confidence in all students. That is the same message we should be sending our students.

Here are some pointers for sharing the message that math is for everyone and help students overcome the fear of math:

1. Relate math to learning any new skill. Students are learning new skills all of the time. Take your students on a thought journey about the process to learn any new skill. Ask students to share how long it took them to learn how to do something new - such as a Tik Tok dance, to skateboard, or to ride a bike. Chances are they will light up and be excited to talk about how long they practiced a dance to get it right. They may even share some funny or memorable fails. I would recommend finding a way to allow all students to share - Nearpod, Google Forms, or some other type of collaborative process. Then allow students to share their experiences.

I went a step further and shared with my students that I do CrossFit. I shared a video that showed the strongest people in the world failing. I also showed some of my journey learning new skills. I share motivational quotes on the video that CrossFitters tell newcomers, but wrote them to be about math to show that learning new skills requires the same elements no matter what the skill is. I humanize myself and share my journey with updates through out the school year, so I can make a connection with my students. It sticks, parents ask me about CrossFit during parent conferences- their children are talking about their experiences in my class at home.

2. Make mistakes a part of learning. Normalize mistakes as a part of the learning process. Mistakes happen every where in the real world. Teach students how to be a part of the growth process when a mistake occurs. Some people may shun my practices of sharing my students’ work on the board via Nearpod. I select students randomly to share their process and answer. Mistakes are revealed regularly in class in front of the class. I teach my students how to respond to other people’s mistakes, how to respond to their own, and I support all of my students when they make mistakes. In time, students get excited when they can self-identify a mistake and explain what they did wrong and what they should have done instead. I teach students all year how to rephrase statements that might evoke emotion from the student whose work is being displayed. It is an ongoing process, but I teach them to be contributors and collaborators, team members and learners. I teach them skills that they will need for successful social and professional lives.

3. Coach parents, students, and other educators on how to speak about math. When you hear “math is hard,” “johnny's sister is the one who is good at math,” “I was never good at math either,” “Jayda has always been bad at math,” or any of the other wild phrases that pop out of people’s mouth rephrase the statement as a model of how to speak about math and the individuals. Add “it might feel hard, but it’s something all people can do including you. I am going to help,” “Carmilla can be just as good at math as Johnny,” sorry to hear you struggled learning math, maybe we can rephrase that to you will be learning or relearning math with your child” and “Jayda is still learning math skills and I am excited to help her continue to work on skills.” It might feel natural to agree with the negative talk about math when you relate to it. However, we need as many people as possible to speak positively about math at all times. The kids are listening and they are paying attention to how adults talk about and respond to math.

4. Remind Students “we are here to learn.” Students get shy and afraid to ask for help when they do not know how to do something. They feel self conscious when they do not learn as fast as peers or need a little extra help. They build this expectation that they should know, rather than understand they are in class to learn. In one class my students reported they felt "dumb" when asking for help, but thought their peers were responsible when they asked.

Teach kids school is for learning. Teach them the important ways we learn and support the process. Let them know asking for help is a part of the process. Let them know their classmates think it is responsible when they ask for help. Let them know that if they do not ask for help, they may never learn. Remind them that people learn at different rates and the goal is to learn no matter how long it takes.

The contrast between how students view peers and how they see themselves.

5. Teach students about learning. I teach my 6th graders about the many processes that lead to learning. In the book “Teach Like a Pirate” David Burgess shares how he teaches his students about the brain and learning. That is sort of what we do when we intertwine conversations and lessons about how we learn; how mistakes, mindset, attitude, and support play a role in learning. I even have my students engage in metacognitive activities by having them reflect on their learning process. These conversations and activities can be tailored to any age group.

6. Remind kids how much they have learned. I teach my students long division in the first chapter. I think it is the most challenging skill to teach and the kids groan and moan all the way through it. When we get to the algebra section they moan and groan again at the sound of the word. I remind them how they felt when we started division. By that point I have highlighted and complemented their long division for months, talking about how well done it is and how the organization of it looks like a piece of art (a bit dramatic, but teaching long division is inspiring). I remind them they have already done a super hard thing and now do it well. I remind them they thought it was scary and now they excel at it. I remind them that they can do math.

7. Let them know that mindset matters. Teach students to keep a positive mindset. There are tons of mindset lessons and posters. Find the ones you like. Teach them, hang them, model a positive mindset. Teach students that believing you can do something is a powerful tool. Teach them that constantly believing something can’t be done is a thought process that separates people who do from people who do not.