Teaching an "Everyone is a Math Person" Mindset from Day 1.

Even if you are not a teacher you probably know that the fundamentals for a good classroom are to develop relationships and to build a safe environment for students to take risks. In the math classroom, students are coming in with loads of math baggage that are both traumas and successes. Getting a student to trust you to take care of them as they try hard and new things and to support them through mistakes is a daunting task. Here are some of the things that I do that help students see themselves as mathematicians in my room (and hopefully out in the real world) as well as trust me to take care of them as they grow as mathematicians.

Set your intentions in your introduction and classroom décor.

Student Created Einstein Bio

Student Created Mary Jackson Poster

I want the students to see mathematicians on the walls that are both famous but also diverse so that they can make connections with the people who created the math they will be learning. Often Math is presented as this magical thing that just exists and the rules are set in stone. Those of us who teach and study math know that isn't true. We know that math was created over millennia by men, women, straight, gay, black, white, brown, young, and old. This year I think I am going to add a tablet that has MLLAOU IG feed scrolling for everyone to see all day.

Scaffolded Math & Science

I also make sure to introduce myself as a mathematician and to talk about my belief that math is something that everyone can do. It isn't just for those who have been imbued some special sauce at birth. Instead it is a skill like any other and your brain a muscle like any other therefore you can build that muscle and that skill through practice. Sure, just like in basketball there are Michael Jordans who just found layups easier than someone like me who always is amazed at the sheer weight of a basketball... but that doesn't mean I can't play basketball. It just means it will take me a lot more hours of practice to get to a competitive level. But seriously, basketballs are heavy.

Then comes the building trust that I will support them in mistakes. I can tell them all day long that I want them to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes but until they see for themselves this in action their past experiences good and bad with math teachers is all they know. I like to use Jo Boaler's YouCubed week of inspirational math to dip their feet in to the math waters. One of my favorites to start with is Fours 4s because it has difficulty levels for everyone. I use it in my Algebra 1 class and in AP Calculus BC. This year I would like to also incorporate some number talks in to the beginning of my class but I am still formulating what that will look like.

Throughout the year I try to use language that doesn't make taking risks a bad thing. When a student gives me a wrong answer I might say "not quite there" or "I was looking for something different." I also don't accept "I don't know" as a response to questions which is why in the first week of school we talk about the power of the word YET and brainstorm ways to answer questions instead of "I don't know." This gives the students the power to own the help they need without giving up. I also like to tell them to give it a try and that I will help them with hints if they get stuck. It is always amazing at what they truly do know when they know there is a safety net below them.

Give the students opportunities to tell you about their math experiences.

When I was going through some certification renewal hoops in our state (ProTeach RIP - j/k I did not like you at all and cheered your end), I created a beginning of the year activity for my classes that I have kept. Instead of just rolling out a set of expectations/rules for the class on day 1, I like to work with the students to build a set of expectations together. While many of the things the students come up with are the same there are often unique ones (right before/after lunch is often a time they want to be able to eat in class because lunch often gets used up getting help from teachers at our school). It is usually the student's first assignment in my class. I have them turn them in so that I can read their needs that they were unwilling to share out to the class. I also take the time to explain why some I cannot honor in class due to school policies I have to uphold or because they go against a philosophy I hold as a teacher.

Instructions and Setup for Take Care of Me... activity

This is know-it-all Megan (aka yours truly) in G3

The second task I like to do is have the students write out their Math Memoir. It is always so insightful to read students' experiences with math and you find even in the younger and older students there are common themes. Math Minutes make everyone question their "math ability" and they were not well liked by any of the kids but the know-it-all Megans who also love timed and standardized tests. This activity is always a great way to start to get to know the students as well as know what you are working with when it comes to their math confidence developed from their past experiences.

Math Memoir Writing Prompt

This year a colleague has introduced the "Why Math?" project from NCTM to our Algebra 1 team and I am excited to use it. It is another way to connect students to math so that they see themselves as mathematicians and help lend some meaning and take away some of the magic of math. It also helps answer the question, "When will I ever use this?" early on.

NCTM Mathematics Teacher, Vol. 112 No. 7, May 2019

Show you are human and you make mistakes too.

I had a close teacher friend whom I was sharing a student teacher a few years ago tell me she didn't like the amount of errors the student teacher was making on the keys. I questioned her on why. I personally make mistakes on my keys and I give rewards to students for finding them. It goes back to my philosophy that learning from mistakes can be more beneficial than getting the correct answers every time. I am also human and humans make mistakes. My teacher friend then responded that it was fine I made mistakes because I had established myself as knowledgeable to the students but the student teacher was undermining her authority to the students who weren't much younger than she. We went back and forth for a while eventually agreeing to disagree. Many teachers feel they need to project this perfect almost robotic persona to maintain control and authority in their classroom but if my goal is to have students feel safe, honored, and see themselves as belonging in my classroom being a robot isn't going to do it. That's why I want to have the students find my mistakes and I want to talk about the mistakes I make because they are usually the same "common errors" that they will make too. We are all just humans and sometimes we get 7 for 3 times 4 even though we know better.

Tell stories about growing up and struggling as a student. Most of us didn't make it through K-12, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree without some struggle. For me I hit a wall my second year at the University of Idaho. I will tell anyone who listens to me about how I made bad choices and chose to spend time with my boyfriend and best friend who were both Communications majors and not attend my Math/Science/Engineering classes and so I earned a 1.0 that spring semester, got put on Dean's Probation (not near as cool as Dean's List) and my aunt said I could come work in Alaska, earn money to return to UI, and retake my failed classes. In the end my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering was completed 6.5 years after I started and I had to retake a full year's worth of credits for classes I had failed. It sucked. I had wanted to give up but I didn't. I use this story to reinforce to the students that it doesn't matter how long it takes you (except it is expensive) or what your GPA is because once you have that certificate/diploma/degree people really only care about it. I have never had anyone ask me how long it took me to get my BSME nor have I really been asked what my GPA was... except when I wanted to go to Graduate School.

At the end of the day what is important is to take time to get to know your students and for them to get to know you. You can't set high expectations and push them through the content if there isn't trust. That trust has to go both ways. Students aren't dummies and you won't be able to fake it. They will know if you don't like them or don't trust them so you might as well not waste your time.