It’s been another rocky start for me in Algebra 2 with Trigonometry.  [Algebra 2 is a predominantly Junior (some Sophomore and rare Freshman) level class.  These students had to meet a prerequisite to get into this class, so as you might imagine they are somewhat accustomed to receiving good grades and doing relatively well in Math.]  Just as with last year, I’m receiving fierce pushback against my style of teaching, which is more “guide on the side” than “sage on the stage.”  Students are  complaining that they aren’t being taught and that they are having to figure out too many things on their own.  Students are complaining that my assessments are too unpredictable and that they can’t handle the anxiety they feel at not knowing exactly on what they will be tested.  Students who had been really good at “doing school math class” up until now are suddenly finding that their usual strategies aren’t working.

There’s so much to unpack in this.  I am teaching them, just not quite as directly as they’d like.  But, perhaps more complicated is that we seem to have different definitions of what math is and what math should be.  I see math as an opportunity for problem solving and critical thinking, as a language and a set of tools that can be used to chip away at unsolvable problems.  My students, on the other hand, see math as a collection of formulas to be memorized and quantities to be calculated, and problems with only right or wrong answers.

To try to bridge this disconnect, and to open a dialogue with them about why I structure the course the way I do (it’s for their own good, I promise!), I planned an entire class period of no math but rather an opportunity for sharing.  I showed them Reshma Saujani’s 2016 Ted Talk, “Teach Girls Bravery, not Perfection.”  There’s so much I love about this talk.  I’ve probably watched it over twenty times and each time I watch it I get chills of excitement.  One of my favorite lines is:

We have to socialize our girls to be comfortable with imperfection, and we’ve got to do it now. …We have to teach them to be brave in schools and early in their careers, when it has the most potential to impact their lives and the lives of others, and we have to show them that they will be loved and accepted not for being perfect but for being courageous. 

I chose this video because I want them to know that they can achieve anything they imagine, but that, socially, they have been wired to back down from many of those dreams, out of caution and out of fear of failure.  In my classroom, in my small way, I want to give them opportunities, safe opportunities, to practice taking risks, practice failing so that it becomes common for them.  I want them to become so good at failing that they will bravely and courageously pursue any dream they have.

I then showed them a short video from Jo Boaler’s Youcubed.org about what math truly is and what it means to be successful in math.  A favorite line from this video is:

No matter how math is presented in school, you should know that math is not about memorization and it is not about calculations.  Math is a much broader subject about ideas, visualization, connections.  And don’t think test scores or grades define who you are or what you can do.  You can do anything.

I love looking around the room when this line is presented (it’s spoken by a fellow student in the video) and it’s such a powerful moment.  I think for many of our students it may be the first time they’ve heard the idea that math isn’t about calculations or formulas.  So many of our students have reduced math to this.

I gave the students surveys before and after watching these videos and we also had time for discussion (some periods more spirited than others) after each video.  This anecdotal feedback is so fascinating.  Below are some results and anecdotes that are particularly interesting,

The above graphic was from the Before Survey.  I find it fascinating how many students don’t see math as a vehicle for problem solving and critical thinking.  For many students, they don’t believe that math is a subject to be figured out.  They believe the only way to learn math is to be taught it by someone more knowledgeable than them.  I am working hard to show my students that much of math can be discovered through experimentation and deduced from very simple principles.

I was heartened to see so many students willing to change, adapt and try a new style of learning, especially after our discussion and the videos.  These comments are from the after survey:

After learning about the research, I now realize that math is not all about math, but rather about how you look at the math material and your mindset going into it.

I appreciated the many students who brought up the very real burden of grades:

Other than getting rid of grades altogether (is that a possibility for us?), I don’t have a good answer for this.  I do try to give my students lots of opportunity to fail without a huge grade impact (ability to remaster quizzes and group assessments are two of my favorites) but their concerns are real.

Finally, these two comments really hit me, as I think they are evidence of everything Reshma Saujani talks about:

Sometimes I think I’m crazy to try to change the way our students learn Math, especially for those who are about to walk out our doors.  I keep thinking it will be so much better in a few years once our Algebra program takes off and students walk into my classes already equipped with bravery and a growth mindset.  Other times I see it as my calling and I believe that it’s never too late to learn and practice courage and risk taking.

I’d love to hear how this is playing out in other departments.  My students tell me all the time that Math is just different:  you need to be taught math.  Critical reasoning is important in History or English but not in a Math classroom.  And the graphic above highlights this perception.  How do you see our girls being brave (or not) and how can I channel that bravery into my math classroom?