It is true that there are some people who are better at math than others, and some people who think more analytically than others. Some people even make math look easy. Although this may be true, anyone can learn math. I tell my students not to give up if math is difficult and if math is always easy, then they are in the wrong math class. In order to really grow the brain and build new neural pathways, learning must be difficult. This is how our human brains work. Growing new neural pathways uses a lot of energy and therefore feels difficult. This is completely normal. And, math, for most people, is difficult. I am sure that even the students who make math look easy study a great deal more than their classmates think they do. So, when my students say, “I don’t get it,” I encourage them to add the word “yet” at the end. Establishing new neural pathways takes repetition and that is why patience, and the word “yet” are so important. Just by adding that little word, “yet” at the end helps students reframe their thinking and become more patient with and hopeful about their own learning. And parents, don’t despair if your child does not understand the first time, or second time, or third time,…you get the idea….repetition is the key. It will eventually make sense to the student if they stick with it and get the outside help they may need.
The idea that a student can achieve academic success and grow new neural pathways with dedication and hard work, rather than by talent alone is referred to as a growth mindset, originally defined by Carol Dweck. (Dweck, Carol. “Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck.” YouTube, 10 Oct. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ.)
