Oh dear. I did it again. I just made a mistake during math class. Has that ever happened to you? How did it make you feel? Would you feel any better if every time you made a mistake a student would say, “That’s okay, Ms. Teacher. Your brain just grew!” That’s why you need to plan some growth mindset math activities.
If you were a fly on the wall in my class, you’d hear, “Your brain just grew!” all the time. Partly because I make lots of mistakes but also because my students have learned the importance of having a growth mindset in Math.
Have your students heard the term, “Growth Mindset”? It seems to be one of those education buzzwords but it holds a lot of power – especially in Math.
Overcoming the "Myth of the Math Brain"
Many of your students will believe that you can either do math or you can’t; that some people are born with “math brains” and others are destined to just be bad at math.
How do you overcome this? Well, it starts with you.
- Examine your own beliefs about math because they are guaranteed to play out in your classroom.
- Make it clear that you believe in ALL of your students (I know you do but sometimes your students don’t).
- Value and praise effort and ideas – not just getting the correct answer.
Try this Quick & Easy Growth Mindset Math Activity
Once you’ve examined your own mindset, discover where your students are at. Sign up for the Middle School Mashup Email Club to get this free activity that comes with instructions, four posters (PDF and Google Slides), and an Exit Ticket.
To start this lesson, set up signs (Agree/Strongly Agree/Disagree/Strongly Disagree) in four corners of your room.
During Covid times, give your students Agree/Strongly Agree and Disagree/Strongly Disagree signs to hold up and ask for volunteers from each position to share their thinking. You can also use the Google Slide included in your freebie and have students drag a sticky note to the box that matches their opinion.
Read the statement: Some people are born with “math brains.” Students gather in the corner that best represents their level of agreement (or holds up a sign). In groups, they discuss reasons for their position.
Then, gather together the Strongly Agree and Strongly Disagree groups and the Agree & Disagree groups. Ask each individual to find a partner with the opposite position and share their reasoning.
Next, show this video from Jo Boaler – Brains Grow and Change. It’s all about debunking the myth that some people are good at math and some aren’t.
Repeat the four corners activity and see if their reactions have changed.
Have students, independently, complete the Exit Ticket.
Look for Opportunities to Include Growth Mindset Math Activities
After completing this activity, you can’t just leave it! Your students will need reminders about the importance of growth mindset throughout the year. Be intentional about how you build your math community and continue to include growth mindset math activities.
Check out this post about building a math community during the first few weeks of school. The best part? You can do this ANYTIME. Put your curriculum on pause and get going. The mindset change in your students will be very apparent.
Consider including opportunities to reflect and journal throughout the year. Don’t know where to start? That’s okay. I have put together two different journals to get you started.
The Math Mindset Journal includes a printable and digital version for Google Slides – perfect for distance learning or paperless classrooms! The journal will provide you with prompts to get your students reflecting on their mindset and will motivate them to see themselves as learners who are capable of doing math.
Math is communication. In order to be effective problem solvers who believe they can do math, students need to be able to communicate orally and in writing. Math Journals for Problem Solving contains 20 math talk journal prompts that will help your students learn how to reflect on their learning as they solve open-ended problems throughout the school year.
Here’s my big mindset shift. Even though I may not be a fast problem solver or think outside of the box very often, I can be a great math teacher. And so can you!!!
Remember to grab your freebie by clicking HERE.
