I can’t tell you how many times in my career I’ve heard students share with me “I’m not good at math!”. This often comes out of frustration when a task is challenging, students feel pressure or compare their performance to others. Math confidence is so important to foster as it’s tied to belonging, self-efficacy, and achievement.
This year my school has been focused on improving students’ experiences in math, and helping them see themselves as successful mathematicians. In the fall, we collected some data to assess how students felt about math in different divisions. We found that as students moved into the junior and intermediate grades, their beliefs about themselves as mathematicians often shifted from positive to negative. It was a powerful reminder that students do not just learn math content over time; they also develop beliefs about whether math is ‘for them’.
As a school team, we decided to become more intentional about how we end each math lesson, whether it’s a 3-part lesson or a purposeful practice. At the end of each lesson, we now include a verbal self-assessment checklist. For example, students might hold up 5 fingers, and put a finger down if they tried more than one strategy, or used math talk, etc. This small routine gives students a chance to reflect on their learning, notice the actions that support mathematicians.
I have also been trying to make math feel more positive in my own classroom. I have found that when I normalize mistakes, students are more willing to take risks. I also praise perseverance, strategy use, and mathematical thinking rather than only correct answers. I also incorporate a self-assessment during exit tickets, so students can name how they are feeling about the learning. When students feel seen and supported, they are more likely to participate and try again.
“I’m not good at math” is not a complete sentence in our classroom anymore. With the right structures, encouragement, and opportunities to reflect, students are beginning to extend the phrase “I am not good at math but or and… I can persevere and try different strategies.” When students begin to see themselves as capable thinkers, their relationship with math starts to change.
How do you respond when students say, “I’m not good at math!”?
