Helping Students Embrace Challenges in Math Class
Getting students to really embrace challenges in math is a challenge! So often we get the message that struggle is a bad thing, something to avoid. However, struggle is a necessary part of learning, especially in math.
Math teachers who possess these 3 core values are prepared to genuinely help students embrace challenges in math.
Core Value 1: Struggle makes our brains stronger.
A diamond is the perfect analogy here. It’s one of the strongest materials on Earth. And how did it get so strong? Through pressure. Over time, the pressure formed bonds that made the diamond nearly unbreakable.
The same thing happens to our brains. When students are challenged, working hard, making mistakes, and pushing through struggle… their brains are forming new connections. Those connections are what make learning last.
Teachers with this core value communicate that struggle isn’t something to avoid… it’s something to celebrate. Struggle means growth. Challenges mean their brains are getting smarter. When students embrace this mindset, it changes their whole approach in math class.
Core Value 2: We are all math people.
Students have often decided they aren’t math people… but we can change their minds (and it’s so critical that we do).
There is no scientific evidence that certain people are born with a math gene. We develop math skills and beliefs about math based on experiences. As math teachers, we have the important job of helping them realize they are very capable of doing math and being math people. We can do that by helping them to see math is fun. Math is amazing. Math is challenging, but it’s also so exciting when we figure things out.
Math teachers who have this core value tend to push students instead of rescuing students too quickly from struggle. When we truly believe students are capable, we have high expectations.
Having high expectations isn’t something that happens overnight. Simply giving challenging tasks does not show high expectations. What we say to students, the questions we ask, the answers we give, and our unspoken gestures communicate our expectations. When we give students chances to do difficult tasks, they often surprise us, which in turn raises our expectations. Knowing that being a “math person” is less about quick answers and more about deep understanding will guide us in how we guide students through challenges.
Core Value 3: Math makes sense.
Math makes sense. We should not ask students to memorize a formula that makes no sense to them. For one, they’ll forget it. More importantly (and this is so important), when students get the idea that math doesn’t make sense, they stop trying. They lose interest. They lose confidence. They certainly won’t attempt challenging problems.
It may look like low effort, but who would try to figure something out if they didn’t think it was going to make sense?
Remembering a formula is helpful in math. However, when we teach a new formula, memorizing the formula may be the least important part of that lesson. What is important in the long run? Problem solving, thinking, making sense of the math, building their confidence… and all of that can happen while they are learning the formula we are teaching. (It’s not that I don’t care about formulas, it’s just that if our focus is cramming all the formulas into their brains, we will fall short of truly building their mathematical minds.)
When students believe math makes sense, they are more likely to try to make sense of new problems. When sense-making is a core part of our lessons, we build their math confidence. That confidence fuels them to work through struggles in math.
Additional Resources for Helping Students Embrace Challenges
Perseverance Lesson & Activity
Do your students struggle to embrace challenges in math? This low-prep lesson uses hands-on activities and the metaphor of a diamond to help students understand that struggle builds strong mathematical thinking. Students learn that math isn’t all about speed; it’s about growing a stronger mind through challenges.
The Struggle is Real
The struggle is when real learning happens. I love this saying on a classroom wall or bulletin board. It’s a powerful reminded that not only is struggle okay, but it’s really beneficial when we are learning!
You are a Math Person Collaborative Banner
Having a discussion with students about what is means to be a math person is a great way to help students think about their own strengths and mindset. This collaborative banner allows them to write what makes them a person. Once all the pieces are assembled, it becomes a meaningful classroom decoration.
