Educational Vision
As a math teacher, I too often hear students saying: "I am not a math person", "I'm bad at math", "Math is impossible", and the like. This attitude is known as a fixed mindset. This mindset sees math as an impossible challenge. Students with this mindset believe if you do not understand math right away, you never will. This is a very common mindset students all across our country have when it comes to mathematics. At times their vision for their mathematical future is a difficult and painful one.
I have a different vision.
My goal as a teacher is to help students cultivate a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset do not give up when they do not immediately get a problem. They keep working at it and try to find another way. They view intelligence as something that can be developed with hard work. When faced with a more complex problem, they welcome the challenge as a way to learn more and hone their skills. Rather than saying "I can't", I want my students to say, "I haven't yet, but with enough work I can". Multiple studies have shown that students with a growth mindset become more confident learners and leaders who evolve more throughout their lifetime. In an often intimidating subject like math, I hope students realize that with the right resources and work ethic, yes they can succeed.
I have a different vision.
My goal as a teacher is to help students cultivate a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset do not give up when they do not immediately get a problem. They keep working at it and try to find another way. They view intelligence as something that can be developed with hard work. When faced with a more complex problem, they welcome the challenge as a way to learn more and hone their skills. Rather than saying "I can't", I want my students to say, "I haven't yet, but with enough work I can". Multiple studies have shown that students with a growth mindset become more confident learners and leaders who evolve more throughout their lifetime. In an often intimidating subject like math, I hope students realize that with the right resources and work ethic, yes they can succeed.