Math anxiety in 3rd grade?? Really?
I guess my main question is how will I undo the damage that has already been done to the group of 3rd graders I will be working with who believe math has one correct answer and that mistakes are unacceptable and reasons to be made fun of by peers. I am hoping I can get over some of these hurdles by introducing these problem solving sessions as "special activities", but doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose by allowing these kids to think of such "non-traditional" activities as a special treat rather than what mathematics really is about?
I had my first session today (1 hour), it went great, the kids were very engaged and all volunteered solutions/comments... At first we had a big discussion about what they thought about when they heard the word "mathematics", and although several answers revolved around operation/numeracy-related topics, some talked about art, reading, graphs, symmetry, patterns... so I had plenty to elaborate on when moving to problem solving. Half-way through the activities one kid said "This is fun! I like math!". They also volunteered some of their own riddles.
The activities are just the right length/variety to have lively discussions without them losing focus. However we did not have time to complete all of them (had to leave out the pattern one in the end). I'm doing logic on Wednesday, looking forward to it, and I may use the pattern activity as a bridge between the two sessions.
Thanks again!
Great to hear that your students enjoyed the activities! I usually pack more material into the lesson than I plan to cover, just in case kids dislike this or that activity - so it is perfectly normal not to cover all activities over the class.
Please share the kids' riddles - I am sure other participants would love to hear those.
I didn't write them all, but here is one... notice the cultural assumption made though...
"How many animals did Moses take in the arch?"
I should also mention that my son knows me too well and knew right away that the solution to the square problem could not possibly be as simple as 9, so he kept thinking about it until he had a different solution to offer... I am hoping that all the kids in the class will get to that mindset after a few sessions, look beyond the obvious and start considering the problems from other perspectives. I am wondering if he would have reacted differently when presented with the same problem coming from his regular teacher. He is very much tuned to thinking outside of the box when engaging with my husband and I, but I wonder if that is a contextual thing.
@afaughn, you write: "Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose by allowing these kids to think of such "non-traditional" activities as a special treat rather than what mathematics really is about?"
I think you are fine there, because kids already know school has its own traditions, and other places have different traditions. What is special at school can be routine elsewhere. Even many Wikipedia articles have separate definitions for school math and the rest of math. So kids will easily believe you - a mathematician - if you say "your math" is all problem-solving, inquiry, and unicorns. They may even think grant writing as a romantic endeavor. But they may have the misconception that all that jazz is only for the grown-ups. You can talk to them about the ways kids can experience real math more frequently, such as math circles, online classes, math books, math games, math museums, family math, or science/tech/engineering gigs like robotics. Maybe some of the kids will want to organize an ongoing math circle!
Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, this is a very typical story for children who were conditioned in school this way for several years in a row.
A couple of years ago, I ran the same math circle for 6-year olds and advanced 6-graders. The younger kids were very eager to start playing and experimenting with a problem. The older kids were terrified. They moaned and complained that they have never been taught how to approach these types of problems. They were also very protective of their image, and were scared to start.
You comment has two questions a) how to deal with fear and anxiety b) how to create a well-balanced image of mathematics
a) Let's start by dealing with the fear. You may want to read about it in the course introduction material. Here are some suggestions:
1. Use open-ended problems - i.e problems that have many right answers. Announce upfront that there is more than one right answer to the problem, and that your task is to find as many as you can. ( Example - find a way to place a paper clip vertically on the table; then compare the solutions and find some kind words for each of the solutions)
2. Reverse the class - let children be the teachers, and you become their student. Provide them with some problems they believe they know how to solve - but give them some unexpected answers. Ask them to teach you the "proper way".
3. Model making mistakes in front of them - i.e make many fun and obvious mistakes, and do it frequently. It is very relaxing for the children, when they see that you are comfortable making mistakes, and they will start imitating you soon.
b) For a more balanced view of math, invite students to draw a mindmap of mathematics. Put "Math" in the center, and ask them to add the branches. Arithmetic will be one of them. Introduce them to "Game theory", "Logic", "Tropical math", "Topology", "Chaos", "Cryptography", "Control theory", "Programming" and "Mathematical Biology" - and ask them what they know about each of these branches. Assure them that arithmetic is just one of the branches, and that you will tell them about the rest of the branches in math circle.
And if you have not seen it yet, consider reading " A mathematician's lament" - just for your own pleasure :
