It is a common misconception that there are “math people” and “not math people”. This phenomenon has been around for as long as I can remember, and as a proud “math person” growing up, I never realized how deep this system of beliefs was rooted in our society. Since it’s release, Jo Boaler’s Mathematical Mindsets has taken the education world by storm because it effectively debunks this myth. Among all of the amazing insight that Jo Boaler shares, one specific statement especially resonated with me.
“Another misconception about mathematics that is pervasive and damaging—and wrong—is the idea that people who can do math are the smartest or cleverest people. This makes math failure particularly crushing for students, as they interpret it as meaning that they are not smart.”
After I recovered from the the slight hit to my “math person” ego, I remember pondering and rereading this statement several times. It says so much about how many children, adults, and even many teachers view themselves when it comes to math. This phenomenon is even more prevalent on an elementary level where so many teachers would unapologetically admit that they are “not math people”, even to their students. Memories of their struggles in math, and all of the doubts and labels that come along with them, can lead to a lack of confidence and transfer to their students and their instruction.
So why are so many elementary school teachers still so anxious and afraid to teach math? The answer is, sometimes teachers just need to be released from this oppressive way of thinking. They need to be given permission to teach math rather than believe they have to be the next Will Hunting in order to be effective. I focus on the word teach in the prior sentence because I have witnessed some of the best teachers I know throw out all of the pedagogical/instructional strategies that make them so effective in every other subject area, and revert back to the type of instruction that would instantaneously put the majority of us to sleep. This is in no way a knock on the amazing teachers I have worked with throughout my teaching and administrative career. But when it comes time to teach math, many forget their skills and craft and rely solely on the textbook to tell them how to teach. Their dynamic classes, filled with collaborative group work, reflection, rich discussions, and most importantly, engaged students, reverts back to the 1890s.
Frequently, talented teachers confess, “I am just not good at math” or “Math just isn't my thing”. My response...Are volcanoes and tectonic plates your thing? What about kachina dolls? The structure of a perfect persuasive essay? Does thinking about cumulonimbus clouds keep you up at night? Aside from a select few, most would answer these questions with a chuckle and a no. Yet, despite their potential lack of passion and deep understanding of these topics, teachers will approach and teach them in engaging and innovative ways that get students excited to learn more about them.
The combination of these factors has forced many teachers and administrators to cling to the their sense of math security, the textbook. The problem with the textbook is that it doesn’t know your students like you do. It doesn’t know their unique skills, backgrounds, and needs. It hasn’t spent countless hours building deep relationships with them. What would happen if we stepped out of the traditional belief system regarding math and just decided to teach it as we would any other subject area or topic?
So what is standing in the way of a true math revolution in our elementary classrooms? Why have schools been able to make such amazing strides with literacy instruction, but continue to fall short in math? My experience leads me to believe it is a combination of two major factors: a lack of confidence with the content by some teachers, usually based on their past experiences in math class, and the absence of clear direction and vision from school administrators of what quality math instruction really looks like.
“Another misconception about mathematics that is pervasive and damaging—and wrong—is the idea that people who can do math are the smartest or cleverest people. This makes math failure particularly crushing for students, as they interpret it as meaning that they are not smart.”
After I recovered from the the slight hit to my “math person” ego, I remember pondering and rereading this statement several times. It says so much about how many children, adults, and even many teachers view themselves when it comes to math. This phenomenon is even more prevalent on an elementary level where so many teachers would unapologetically admit that they are “not math people”, even to their students. Memories of their struggles in math, and all of the doubts and labels that come along with them, can lead to a lack of confidence and transfer to their students and their instruction.
So why are so many elementary school teachers still so anxious and afraid to teach math? The answer is, sometimes teachers just need to be released from this oppressive way of thinking. They need to be given permission to teach math rather than believe they have to be the next Will Hunting in order to be effective. I focus on the word teach in the prior sentence because I have witnessed some of the best teachers I know throw out all of the pedagogical/instructional strategies that make them so effective in every other subject area, and revert back to the type of instruction that would instantaneously put the majority of us to sleep. This is in no way a knock on the amazing teachers I have worked with throughout my teaching and administrative career. But when it comes time to teach math, many forget their skills and craft and rely solely on the textbook to tell them how to teach. Their dynamic classes, filled with collaborative group work, reflection, rich discussions, and most importantly, engaged students, reverts back to the 1890s.
Frequently, talented teachers confess, “I am just not good at math” or “Math just isn't my thing”. My response...Are volcanoes and tectonic plates your thing? What about kachina dolls? The structure of a perfect persuasive essay? Does thinking about cumulonimbus clouds keep you up at night? Aside from a select few, most would answer these questions with a chuckle and a no. Yet, despite their potential lack of passion and deep understanding of these topics, teachers will approach and teach them in engaging and innovative ways that get students excited to learn more about them.
The combination of these factors has forced many teachers and administrators to cling to the their sense of math security, the textbook. The problem with the textbook is that it doesn’t know your students like you do. It doesn’t know their unique skills, backgrounds, and needs. It hasn’t spent countless hours building deep relationships with them. What would happen if we stepped out of the traditional belief system regarding math and just decided to teach it as we would any other subject area or topic?
So what is standing in the way of a true math revolution in our elementary classrooms? Why have schools been able to make such amazing strides with literacy instruction, but continue to fall short in math? My experience leads me to believe it is a combination of two major factors: a lack of confidence with the content by some teachers, usually based on their past experiences in math class, and the absence of clear direction and vision from school administrators of what quality math instruction really looks like.
My charge is this...engage your students. Allow them to build the foundation for true number sense. One that doesn’t rely on tricks to simply get the correct answer, but on truly and deeply understanding numbers and operations. Celebrate the process, celebrate mistakes, celebrate the subject of math. Approach it like you would any other lesson on any other topic in any other subject area. Design learning experiences that give all students opportunities to approach a concept or problem, think critically, and build computational literacy. And above all meet of your students’ needs using a differentiated approach- because you absolutely know that math will not be experienced the same way for all of them.
Some things to keep in mind in designing math units and lessons
- Identify the clear learning objective(s)/standards. What should your students know and be able to do?
- Consider the different students in your class to provide several entry points.
- Understand how this skill/concept fits into the big picture (and I don’t mean, “You will need this next year”)
- How can you make the topic relevant to your students?
- How can you plan for differentiation so that all students have a learning pathway to succeed?
- What kind of conversation, discourse, or debate can accompany this skill or concept?
- What elements from your reading/writing workshop l structure can be used?
- How do you build in the gradual release of responsibility (I do, we do, you do)?
- How can you flip the gradual release of responsibility to have students exploring and doing prior to you “presenting” the topic?
So what part will you play in enhancing math instruction for the students you are lucky to serve? I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback so that we can work together to shift the paradigm of how people approach math instruction so that ALL children and teachers believe they are “math people”.
