Developing Stamina and Style
One reason that students panic and feel anxious doing math,
is a misunderstanding of the effort required. Imagine if you never saw anyone sweat,
and you went out to play a few games of basketball. Quite likely, the changes in your body
- the increase in heart beat, focus and sweat might cause you a bit of concern. You
might think somethin
g was wrong!
This happens to our students. They think there must be something wrong with them, if the answer doesn't come quickly. Too many assume there is some magic formula to understanding, and they just don't have it.
But they do! All children can succeed in math. Some of my greatest success stories were students to whom none of it came naturally. But for a variety of reasons - they didn't expect it to be easy, any more than a young basketball player expects to win without practicing. Knowing math involved effort, they didn't misinterpret it, or panic when it did.
And they developed their own style. When students learn that there is no magic formula, and they do have what they need, right between their ears, they develop their own methods and way of attacking problems. Encourage this! Step back and watch, and encourage and praise the process along the way, letting our students see that it's the thinking that gets you there, not the quick 'flash' of a right answer. Students then develop a belief that they can do it, pride in their methods, and a desire to strengthen the methods. It's an equation that works, because it rests on their thinking power, and not on some external "gift."
For more ideas for reducing math anxiety, and delightful stories of students learning, listen to Suzanne's audiocassette series How to Help...
