"Perhaps one of the most important ways that families can reinforce mathematics achievement is simply by having a positive attitude that children can master challenging math. Too often, we undermine our children's interest in math by using statements such as 'math is hard' or ' I didn't like math either'." ( Richard W. Riley, former Secretary of Education)
I think that this idea of a positive attitude is also crucial in creating a good math climate in schools. I have seen firsthand how much this can impact a child's response to math. In the past I have worked with first and second graders in the resource room. Sadly, some of them came with beliefs already that "math is hard" and "I hate math." For those kids it was imperative that an attitude adjustment needed to occur. The best way that I found to reverse their thoughts was to let them witness my genuine enthusiasm, laced with phrases like "This is going to be fun," and "You'll be able to do this, too." At least for young kids, it is amazing how they can become believers that they, too, can be good math thinkers.
This year I am in a slightly different position and will be working with math strugglers in the general ed. population. I know that in addition to creating a positive "can do" climate, I must also have a good plan for taking kids where they are mathematically and moving them forward at an appropriate pace. I'll be working on creating lessons laced with fewer periods and more question marks this year. I have little contact with parents, but if it presents itself, I will also convey to parents how important their attitudes affect their children's attitudes in math.
Has anyone else noticed how important crafting a positive attitude is when you teach math?
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Although Portland does not officially start until after Labor Day, my teaching partner and I invite each of our students into the classroom for an individual visit. After the meet and greet and find your desk routine, we take the child aside for a little conversation about reading and school attitude in general. We finish up with a little math inventory that is fun - it includes some estimation, counting, number recognition and place value. It serves as an small assessment for us (especially with Math Vocabulary) and shows our incoming students that we think math is important and sets that stage for the year.
At the end of last year I received a note from one of my second grade students who told me she loved math because her teacher loved math. Words of wisdom...I play a song on a CD that kids really like and I think it reinforces a positive math climate.
"I Know Math" is a song by the Hoose family on the
Hey Little Ant CD. Check it out at heylittleant.com
For the past two days Val Vassar and I led a workshop on the new Investigations Math program for teachers just beginning to use the program (including me). I invited my student teacher and she attended.
Absolutely. Positive attitude is important in whatever we are teaching, but it seems to be particularly so in math because so many kids seem to be "math phobic". I love what Rita's student said! "I love math because my teacher loved math." What a powerful reminder! If we approach math with an "I love it" attitude, we can indeed impact the students' perception. I'm very excited to implement some of the things we learned and to show my students that there is NOT just one way to do math. Who would have ever thought it!? I can't wait to show them some of the alternative algorithms. I think, as 7th/8th graders who are still struggling with math, they will be excited to see that it's okay to do things differently! I've been securing some more manipulatives for my classroom as I intend to be "playing" more this year!
I agree with you Linda that it is all in the way we frame the attitude. I have often told parents who profess not to be good spellers that they are never to indicate that to their child. It is permission in disguise for the child to not become great at spelling because mom and/ dad are not good spellers.
Yes, it really is so much of the attitude in math, I can attest to that. I found that our week with Maggie helped my with my math attitude as much as it may help me helping others! I am in a unique position this year, a literacy ed tech given the first three months of the year to set up the classroom for a teacher on leave. I have been working in the room and thinking about what strategies I will use to start the year off on a positive note in math and reading. I can't make too many changes but the strategies that I keep reminding myself of are, 1. to let the children come up with the rules, to keep myself from feeling like I have to always be ready with the "correct" answer, 2. to encourage and enjoy the questions and the unsolved, 3. to wait 30 seconds, 4. to work math in whenever I can so it is real. I left our week feeling uplifted and excited about math, hope I can infuse some of that into some first graders, I have 3 months!
Positive Attitude and Math Climate
Linda J.,
I always tell my students that whatever they think they can do, they can be successful at. I use myself as an example and tell them as long as I keep thinking that I can't do some task, I will not be able to accomplish it and be successful. But the minute that I say that I can and take the task one step at a time, I achieve may goal and am proud of my success. They look at me like it isn't true. I give a real life example of a time that this happened and assure them of how happy I was to complete the task. Throughout the year I remind them as we face difficult or new challenges in math and other curriculum that it takes and "I can do it ATTITUDE" before we can start.
I also give many opportunities for students to face a skill and use a new process in math. During Morning Meeting task, when we have a fifteen minute space in our schedule and if math fits into a subject we are studing. I say I have a text to text connection, can anyone quess what I am connecting to that we have already learned? Several students given a little wait time will start connecting, too. If they don't I will give one hint and wait, second hint, esp. if it is a leap. There we are using literacy skills of connecting to what we know, personally, text to text and in the world. Math is literacy and we need to be math literate, too.
Yes, I do think that a teacher's attitude toward a subject and the amount of time she gives for the subject tells the students how much she and they in turn should value the learning. We as teachers must make math concepts real and fun and send the message that we need to understand the numbers in our life to be successful.
MaddyR-4/5
I have a position similar to Linda's, and this is the second year we have this math resource for our K-2 students in the regular ed population. Most students come to my room with the attitude that they are not good math students, so my #1 job is to build their self-confidence. That is really not hard to do when you set up multiple opportunities for them to be successful.
While worksheets and journal pages have their (small) place in a balanced program, we all know, and experienced this summer that the most effective cognitive learning comes when the learner is engaged and the activity is FUN.
Having a program dedicated to identifying foundational weaknesses gives the student extra instruction/practice, and also allows the classroom teachers and me the opportunity to see what specific skills need firming up as the curriculum train keeps speeding up.
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