By using positive affirmations
I am not a math person.
I’m just going to be real honest…. for MOST of my life I didn’t love math. I didn’t even like math. When I became a teacher I knew I would have to teach math, but figured I could just follow the curriculum. I would throw in a few math games and maybe put the activities into centers so kids had fun.
It wasn’t until my 5th year in the classroom, teaching 3rd grade math that I figured out I actually DO LIKE math. Mainly because I relearned a lot of things I never knew and discovered math “ah ha” moments right alongside my 8 year olds.
It was also in that my 5th year of teaching that I made a shift in my instruction. First, I actively worked to develop a strong MATH culture in classroom community. Then, I designed opportunities for students to DISCOVER math through using a constructivist approach. (More on that later!)
But let’s go back to the STRONG MATH CULTURE….
I want to build students’ math growth mindset. I want them to know that they can get better at math with effort. That there are not just some people who are “math people” and some that are not. We’re ALL math people.
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One of my favorite ways to build a math growth mindset is by using positive affirmations.
Positive Affirmations to build Math Growth Mindset
Affirmations are positive statements that you can read or say aloud to help you re-write negative thoughts you have. This Mother.ly article describes how to use Positive Affirmations with your child.
In real life- parent life
I love following @Biglittlefeelings on Instagram. I am a parent of a toddler and their realistic approach to parenting has been so helpful. They often post statements that I stop my scroll and become my affirmation for the day. Check one of my favorite posts!
Post- It Notes on Mirrors… I wrote these notes to help my husband and I. Then, I taped them to the mirror. Every time I wash my hands (it’s 2020… so that’s like 60% of my day) I see the statement and think it over several times. It’s the repetition & reminder of seeing it on the mirror that gives me the boost I need.
I’ve used this experience to help me think through how I can help my students use Positive Affirmations to build a math growth mindset!
Positive Affirmations in the Classroom to build Math Growth Mindset
I love covering my walls with positive affirmations to build math growth mindsets.
It never fails there will be students spacing out and looking around. My hope is that they land on a phrase and actually read it and helps them develop their math growth mindset.
I also use these positive affirmation posters as visual cues for myself. I want to build my students growth mindset! So, when I look up and see a poster it is a prompt for me to say it aloud multiple times in the class.
Also, bulletin boards and shout out boards are a great way to engage students with the positive affirmations and build a math growth mindset. I hang one of the affirmations in the center of my shout out board. Then, we will recognize students who have shown that trait or phrase on the board.
For example, we might use this image for our weekly focus. Then, in our circle time we would recognize each other for having a positive mindset in math. We would then write that example up and post it on the board.
Digital Do Nows! I’m currently living in a totally virtual classroom. So, I’ve gotten creative with how to use these affirmation posters in the virtual space to build students’ math growth mindset. I have created a warm up routine where students read the positive affirmation and respond about how they will work on it through out the day.
If you need these Positive Affirmations in your life to help your students’ build a math growth mindset head over to my little shop!
Are you interested in learning more about developing a strong math classroom culture?
I invite you to join me on this journey to creating a classroom where math learners thrive and fall in love with math through experiencing challenges and equipped with the skills to persevere!
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