Growth Mindset for Math
Have you wondered why it's perfectly acceptable to say "I'm not good at math!" but it's not ok to say "I'm not good at reading."?? For some reason one is ok and the other is not. Neither is ok!! We need to help our students see that they could become good at math!
The guru for growth mindset and math is Jo Baoler, from Stanford University. She wrote several books on this topic. Better yet, check out her web site: youcubed It's amazing!! Seriously.
Classroom Norms
Follow these norms in your math classroom to foster a growth mindset in math. Here is a link to a poster.
- Everyone can learn higher math! It's for everyone!
- Mistakes are valuable. They help us learn!
- Questions move our thinking. Ask!
- Math is creative. Think outside the box!
- Math needs to be talked about! Collaborate and communicate!
- Go deep, not fast.
- Learning takes effort. It's not a performance.
Math apps.
There are a lot out there that try to get kids to work so fast that they're not thinking! Here are the apps that Jo Baoler suggests. They emphasize thinking visually and deeply. My favorite is Mancala!!
Delve deeper
My friend Kathie, at Tried and True Teaching Tools, led a great book study this summer. Check out her blog for more detailed information.
Here are some great products from my store!
Growth Mindset
Is your school doing more and more with technology? Here is a Google drive activity about growth mindset. It had two quick activities and a report for the kids to do! If not techy yet, I have other products for Growth mindset for you. I have a few products related to growth mindset. Check them out.