“I used to be bad at math, and now I am really good at it!” “Math was never my favorite subject, but now I love it!” These are comments that are often unheard of when it comes to mathematics. I, however, have heard these types of remarks from my students over the years. I don’t hear these statements as much at the beginning of the year; however, mindset’s change as months pass by. So how does this happen?

Grades are important for schools to have data on how well students are doing compared to others in the district, state, or even nation. But before we focus on grades, we must focus on the confidence of our students. At the start of the school year, students will often tell me that they ‘dislike math’ or ‘aren’t good at math.’ When students think this way, they don’t push themselves to their maximum potential. They give up easily because they already believe that they cannot do it, so why bother trying. My goal at the start of the school year is to always focus on this lack of confidence and help to change the mindset of my students. We have a conversation about the importance of thinking positively and giving things a chance. It takes a bit of time, and I often have side conversations with students who seem to really be struggling; however, they eventually all realize how they can truly do anything they put their minds and hearts to.

In math class, students are often nervous to share out an answer because they are afraid of getting a wrong answer and looking silly. In our class, we focus on those incorrect answers. I am constantly reminding students that wrong answers are good to get when we are practicing a skill. Many of my lessons revolve around incorrect answers and completing error analysis. When a student shares a wrong answer, I always tell them thank you for providing us with more ways to grow. Students improve understanding by fixing wrong answers. By focusing on them, we are helping them to improve.

As educators, we hear a lot about changing the mindset of our students. Before we can help our students change their mindset, we must change our own mindsets. Saying things like, “I used to be so bad at math,” or “Math was my least favorite subject,” is going to give them a reason to feel the same way. Most of us likely struggled with math, but succeeded in the end. This is what we need to start sharing with students. Once we change the way we think and talk, we can help our students feel the same way. Grades will fall into place by helping our students gain confidence in themselves and providing fun ways to learn. Boosting confidence needs to be our priority.