Let’s Talk Math!

Hi! Long time, no see!

Blog Author- Julia Park

Welcome to my blog! I am Julia Park and I am an Early Childhood Education major at Millersville University. It is my senior year here at MU and wow, it has been quite the journey! Although the pandemic has made life difficult, I am absolutely loving my field placement experience with my wonderful fourth graders thus far! The busy semester has limited the time that I would have dedicated to blogging, which has been a huge bummer for me. I am so excited to get back into sharing information I am learning with you all!

In this post, along with many future posts, I will be focusing on the instruction of mathematics. Let’s dive in!


Growth Mindset Matters

You might be wondering, what does the phrase “growth mindset” mean? When a person has a growth mindset, they believe that they can improve in their ability to do something. This is the opposite of having a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is when a person believes that their qualities are fixed traits and focus on documenting these traits rather than improving on them.

Having a growth mindset is important in any subject because we want our students to believe that it is possible to grow in their own abilities. When children believe that their abilities can improve, they are more motivated to try new skills and activities. This motivation leads children into a world of endless, invaluable learning opportunities.


How do Fixed Mindsets Form in Math Class?

It is important to acknowledge how fixed mindsets might have formed to prevent them from forming in our own classrooms! It is also beneficial because it can allow us to understand why a student is lacking motivation in math.

There are so many ways fixed mindsets are established in the minds of children. The following are just a few examples that I have learned about or experienced out in the field:

  • Children often hear the idea that you have to be a “math person” in order to excel in mathematics. A “math person” does not exist! Students of all kinds can improve their math skills with hard work and practice. 
  • Students might have attended a class where only accuracy was appreciated. Having a teacher who does not value effort can create a fear of failure in children.
  • There is a possibility that teachers do not provide children with enough opportunities to challenge themselves. Without these opportunities, children are unable to practice the skills they are in the midst of developing.

If teachers are more aware of the possible reasons that students are lacking in motivation, we are able to problem-solve in a mindful way!


Encouraging Students to have a Growth Mindset

As teachers, we can do so much to encourage our students to have growth mindsets in math class. The following is a list of ways teachers can promote growth mindsets in their students:

  • Teachers can remind students that everyone learns in different ways and at different paces. This is why we must praise effort, not just accuracy. When effort is praised, students are better able to recognize that the process is just as important as the result. 
  • Educators should provide children with challenging opportunities so that students can practice using their problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a safe, low-stress environment. 
  • Teachers can model having a growth mindset by participating in think-alouds. In a think-aloud, teachers can demonstrate positive reactions when mistakes are made. By doing this, the teacher can work through the mistake aloud and show that mistakes are learning opportunities.
  • Educators should emphasize the power of “yet!” We need to remind students that they might not be able to do something yet, but with determination and practice, they will be able to work towards many goals! 

Check out this awesome blog for more ways on how to encourage our students to have a growth mindset in math! You can also click on the image seen above for another great resource on this topic!

In the TED Talk video below, Rita Pierson sets a great example for teachers to build trust with our students, show our students that making mistakes is okay, praise students for their effort, and encourage students to do better because we know they can!

Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson

Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, “They don’t pay me to like the kids.” Her response: “Kids don’t learn from people they don’…

I love this video so much and I think it represents beautiful ways we as teachers can model having a growth mindset for our own students! 


“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”Theodore Roosevelt

The fear of failure often limits the exploration and risk taking done by individuals, which is really detrimental to a person’s development. As you have just read in my previous sections, children have experiences that can lead to this fear, which is a major problem that we need to be aware of. 

We need to encourage children to recognize that so much can come out of trying something new, even if it results in failure. It is best that we treat failure and the process of making mistakes as learning opportunities because that is what they are! 


Thank you very much for reading this post!

I really appreciate you stopping by! Having a growth mindset is so important for our learners and I really enjoyed sharing this information with you all! Thanks so much for reading!

-Julia 🙂

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Julia Park

Hi! I am Julia Park and I'm a junior at Millersville University. I am currently studying Early Childhood Education. I am so excited to share my journey through my new blog!