Six Strategies to
Foster a Positive Math Mindset
Foster a Positive Math Mindset
How often have you started your year with students who have a negative math mindset? They say they hate math.
I donโt know about you, but I find that it happens every yearโฆandย when I ask student why, students often canโt say….so,ย I don’t necessarily believe math is what students “hate” (though they think so).
Instead,ย I believe it’s something that happens or has happened in math classes that they dislike.
My goal is always to help students like math class enough that theyโllย open their minds to the possibility that math can be fun, interesting, and even helpful. Developing this positive math mindset can be a challenge when some of them have had a negative math mindset for years.
I donโt know about you, but I find that it happens every yearโฆandย when I ask student why, students often canโt say….so,ย I don’t necessarily believe math is what students “hate” (though they think so).
Instead,ย I believe it’s something that happens or has happened in math classes that they dislike.
My goal is always to help students like math class enough that theyโllย open their minds to the possibility that math can be fun, interesting, and even helpful. Developing this positive math mindset can be a challenge when some of them have had a negative math mindset for years.
Iโve found that a few simple actions/habits on my part seem to lead to improved student attitudes and the mindset that math might actually be a โlikeableโ subject.
โIt’s not necessarily the way I explain concepts (although I like to think I do that well:-), but more my attitude of acceptance that I think helps to change their mindsets.
โ
In this math mindset post, you’ll find a few strategies I believe have helped my students develop a like (if not a love) of math.
Fostering Positive Math Mindsets, Strategy 1:
1) Encourage students to ask questions and then be willing to take the time to answer them.ย Students often hesitate to ask questions, especially in front of the whole class, and especially at the beginning of the year. I start my year with an activity that encourages students to work together right from the start, to try to foster a comfort level that will encourage them to ask questions in class.
I consistently remind students to ask questions when we introduce and discuss concepts. If they don’t ask,
At the beginning of the year, students will typically start asking questions during group work time, and I take the time to answer, even if it takes me a little longer to get to other students. As the year progresses, and students see that I really do want questions and that I really will answer those questions, they become more comfortable asking questions in class.
The more they ask, the more they learn. Yes, it takes extra time sometimes, but itโs worth itโฆ.I want them to develop deeper understanding, (which helps develop a positive math mindset), and that happens through questioning.
I consistently remind students to ask questions when we introduce and discuss concepts. If they don’t ask,
At the beginning of the year, students will typically start asking questions during group work time, and I take the time to answer, even if it takes me a little longer to get to other students. As the year progresses, and students see that I really do want questions and that I really will answer those questions, they become more comfortable asking questions in class.
The more they ask, the more they learn. Yes, it takes extra time sometimes, but itโs worth itโฆ.I want them to develop deeper understanding, (which helps develop a positive math mindset), and that happens through questioning.
Fostering Positive Math Mindsets, Strategy 2:
2) Allow students to talk to each other about math.ย
We know that many students love to talk! Why not encourage them to talk about math? Students often come to my class having had very little chance to talk about math with others, and they are surprised at how often I ask them to do so.
They always have a talking purpose โ often itโs discussion of the warm-ups they did for homeworkโฆ.
We know that many students love to talk! Why not encourage them to talk about math? Students often come to my class having had very little chance to talk about math with others, and they are surprised at how often I ask them to do so.
They always have a talking purpose โ often itโs discussion of the warm-ups they did for homeworkโฆ.
- What were the answers?
- How did they solve?
- Why do they have different answers?
Other times they work on problem solving togetherโฆ.
- What do they know?
- How will they approach the problem?
- Where are they stuck?
Talking about math is so important to developing a positive math mindset, and they come understand that they can share their ideas freely.
Fostering Positive Math Mindsets, Strategy 3:
3)Ask why.
I ask why all the time. To begin with, students often think that me asking why means they are wrong, so they change their answers. But it doesnโtโฆ.it just means I want to know why they think what theyโre thinking….I think this makes them feel valued.
Theย more I ask them to justify their thinking, the more able they are to do so, and the more they like to explainโฆ.even if itโs not โrightโ- they know I’m not judging, I’m just listening. I love having them go to the board to illustrate their “whys.” Some students are super willing to do so at the start of the year, while others take a while. But by the end of the year, they feel comfortable explaining their whys….a little proof of the positive math mindset they’re developing.
I ask why all the time. To begin with, students often think that me asking why means they are wrong, so they change their answers. But it doesnโtโฆ.it just means I want to know why they think what theyโre thinking….I think this makes them feel valued.
Theย more I ask them to justify their thinking, the more able they are to do so, and the more they like to explainโฆ.even if itโs not โrightโ- they know I’m not judging, I’m just listening. I love having them go to the board to illustrate their “whys.” Some students are super willing to do so at the start of the year, while others take a while. But by the end of the year, they feel comfortable explaining their whys….a little proof of the positive math mindset they’re developing.
Fostering Positive Math Mindsets, Strategy 4:
4) Tell stories about mathย ย in real life.
Last year, I told my students about the night my son (who was working as a server in a restaurant) got a $60 tip. I knew the total of the bill, and we were working onย percentsย at the time, so we figured out what percent tip that wasโฆ.I think it was somewhere around 50%! They were so interested, because it was about a real person. It was a short story, but those little tidbits really add to “math interest.”
Last year, I told my students about the night my son (who was working as a server in a restaurant) got a $60 tip. I knew the total of the bill, and we were working onย percentsย at the time, so we figured out what percent tip that wasโฆ.I think it was somewhere around 50%! They were so interested, because it was about a real person. It was a short story, but those little tidbits really add to “math interest.”
Fostering Positive Math Mindsets, Strategy 5:
5) Be accepting of studentsโ thinking, explanations, and mistakes.ย
This might be the most important thing you can do to help foster positive math mindset.
Sometimes students are on the right track, and sometimes they arenโt….but making mistakes helps to grow the brain, soย it’s okย if they aren’t on the right track.ย Yes, some math problems have one right answer, but when students are simply told, โNo, thatโs not right,โ they may shut down and tune outโฆ.feeling embarrassed about making a mistake or sharing “wrong” thinking.
Peter Sims, writer for the New York Times, says that successful people โfeel comfortable being wrong.โ Students need to realize that they ARE doing some correct, valid thinking, even if it leads them to the wrong answer.
It can sometimes be challenging to take time in class to find the parts of student thinking that can be built on, to lead to the right answer. But as a math teacher, thatโs part of my purposeโฆtake students from where they are, ask them questions, share thoughts, accept their mistakes, understand what theyโre thinking….and expand it or redirect it to help grow the concept in their minds.
According to Joย Boaler, โOne of the most powerful moves a teacher or parent can make is in changing the message they give about mistakes and wrong answers in mathematics.โ When students observe you accepting and building from others’ mistakes, they become comfortable sharing their own ideas.
This might be the most important thing you can do to help foster positive math mindset.
Sometimes students are on the right track, and sometimes they arenโt….but making mistakes helps to grow the brain, soย it’s okย if they aren’t on the right track.ย Yes, some math problems have one right answer, but when students are simply told, โNo, thatโs not right,โ they may shut down and tune outโฆ.feeling embarrassed about making a mistake or sharing “wrong” thinking.
Peter Sims, writer for the New York Times, says that successful people โfeel comfortable being wrong.โ Students need to realize that they ARE doing some correct, valid thinking, even if it leads them to the wrong answer.
It can sometimes be challenging to take time in class to find the parts of student thinking that can be built on, to lead to the right answer. But as a math teacher, thatโs part of my purposeโฆtake students from where they are, ask them questions, share thoughts, accept their mistakes, understand what theyโre thinking….and expand it or redirect it to help grow the concept in their minds.
According to Joย Boaler, โOne of the most powerful moves a teacher or parent can make is in changing the message they give about mistakes and wrong answers in mathematics.โ When students observe you accepting and building from others’ mistakes, they become comfortable sharing their own ideas.
Fostering Positive Math Mindsets, Strategy 6:
6) Let them explore math concepts!
I know itโs hard to take time to explore, especially when your math periods are short and you may feel pressure to โcoverโ material within a certain amount of time. I definitely felt that pressure and with 40-min periods, time was certainly short.
But, letting students explore math and play with math isย soย valuable! In Joย Boalerโsย book,ย Mathematical Mindsets, she references brain research and the idea that, โIf you learn something deeply, the synaptic activity will create lasting connections in your brain, forming structural pathways, but if you visit an idea only once or in a superficial way, the synaptic connections can โwash awayโ like pathways made in the sand.โ She also references a Park & Brannon study that found, โ…the most powerful learning occurs when we use different pathways in the brain…โ
Giving students time to explore math allows them to explore those pathways and think more deeply. This can only benefit them, build their foundation for the topics you’ll teach, and foster a positive, growth math mindset.
I know itโs hard to take time to explore, especially when your math periods are short and you may feel pressure to โcoverโ material within a certain amount of time. I definitely felt that pressure and with 40-min periods, time was certainly short.
But, letting students explore math and play with math isย soย valuable! In Joย Boalerโsย book,ย Mathematical Mindsets, she references brain research and the idea that, โIf you learn something deeply, the synaptic activity will create lasting connections in your brain, forming structural pathways, but if you visit an idea only once or in a superficial way, the synaptic connections can โwash awayโ like pathways made in the sand.โ She also references a Park & Brannon study that found, โ…the most powerful learning occurs when we use different pathways in the brain…โ
Giving students time to explore math allows them to explore those pathways and think more deeply. This can only benefit them, build their foundation for the topics you’ll teach, and foster a positive, growth math mindset.
โAt some point during the year, most of my โmath hatersโ stop hating math. They realize that maybe itโs not so bad, and they become willing to have conversations about math topics. They become willing to ask those questions in front of the class and explain their thinking about those tricky problems – even when they donโt know if theyโre correct. They become willing to take risks because they know they wonโt be judged or simply told, โSorry, thatโs wrong.โ And when they learn that their thinking wasnโt quite on track,ย they donโt feel judged or stupid…and their minds stay open to the learning.
For me, one of the best parts of teaching math is watching the metamorphosis of a child, from one who โhatesโ math to one who has developed a positive math mindset and willingly goes to the front of the class to illustrate and explain his or her math thinking.
