Math Mindset

The second week of math has arrived and no better way to focus on math by not only developing our own math mindset as educators, but learning to help our students develop a math mindset. So what exactly is a math mindset? And what is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset? By now I'm sure you have heard these terms being thrown around, so let's take a closer look at what these terms really mean in the education world.

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A growth mindset means that you believe that smartness increases with hard work and dedication. On the contrast, a fixed mindset means that you believe that you are either smart or you are not, and you can not change your basic level of intelligence. With a growth mindset, no matter how many mistakes an individual may make they keep on going until they have reached their goals or succeeded at the task at hand. The example demonstrated in the online module video shows students playing and never giving up because they are determined to be better at soccer and believe that they can achieve those goals with hard work.

Students with a math growth mindset try harder and longer because they don't believe that trying hard and taking your time equates to being un-smart. When these students make a mistake they do not think it means they are bad at math or will never get it, instead they try harder and face their challenges so that they are able to succeed. Mistakes and challenges are seen as a learning opportunity. 

The video above describes why it is important to choose the harder problems when learning math because our brain actually grows with challenges. Students who have a growth mindset are more likely to choose the harder problems because they want to challenge themselves and develop their math skills. Studies have shown that when students are told by educators that they are smart, the students are more likely to choose the easier problems in math and not challenge themselves. This can be a problem especially when these students face math challenges in the future they can feel like they are not smart if they do not understand the problem. 

As educators it is important to not call our students smart at math but praise hard work and determination. If we see students progressing and working hard at developing their skills in math, it is important to encourage these students to continue this behaviour in order to encourage a growth mindset.