Teachers often face many obstacles in the classroom: a wide range in abilities, lack of support or resources, large class sizes, time constraints – the list goes on. But perhaps one of the more difficult obstacles is the fear of mathematics. Math-phobia can easily translate into students exhibiting anxiety, a lack of involvement, and even behavioral issues.
So how can teachers help students overcome their fear of math?
The first step is to build confidence. To overcome this, you should provide students with regular confidence-building exercises that look challenging but enable all students to do well. This boost in confidence and self-efficacy can decrease anxiety and fear, as students feel more and more capable and motivated.
Strengthen students’ basic skills. Giving students opportunities to practice and master essential skills for computational fluency is essential: when students don’t have the basic skills at hand, their working memories are taxed and this can be both distracting and discouraging. You should get students to practice mental math and basic math skills regularly, incorporating them into games and warm-up activities.
Use a step-by-step approach. It’s a good idea to chunk material into smaller steps so that students are able to understand and master one step before moving to the next.
Develop a growth mindset. the belief that our abilities can be developed, that encouraging a growth mindset and risk-taking can motivate students. By giving students problems that get harder, you can show them they can surmount any challenge through hard work and practice.
The attitude of teachers. Last, but certainly not least, a teacher’s attitude towards mathematics can have a huge influence. Teachers are instrumental in creating positive and active learning environments, such as by incorporating math puzzles and games into explanations and examples. Learning how and why to teach math in ways that build understanding and excitement can really help reduce math anxiety in teachers themselves.
By: Jennifer S. Lopez
