"Bad at Myth":

"BAD AT MATH": THE MYTH VS. THE SCIENCE

“I’m not a math person.”

“My brain is just not wired for numbers.”

“Math is too hard for me to learn.”

“I’m not good at numbers.”

“I’m dumb at math.”

"My dad (or mom) says he's not good at math either."

In my many years of teaching math, I've found that the single greatest hindrance to learning math is the mindset of students who say, and more importantly believe, these self-defeating statements. The same students will generally believe in the intelligence continuum below:

Dumb <------------------- Average -------------------> Smart

These students resign themselves to a position towards the left end of this spectrum. They carry an ardent belief that they are incapable of learning math, and the sad, yet powerful, result is a hope-killing, soul-shattering paralysis of the mind.

The truth, however, is that for the vast majority of students, this way of thinking about intelligence and learning isn't supported by the science. The brain is not a fixed entity with a hard ceiling on what it can learn. Research on neuroplasticity shows that the brain can grow, adapt, and build new capacity as we practice and learn — which is exactly why sustained effort, good instruction, and persistence pay off for the overwhelming majority of learners, even when a concept feels impossible at first. When it comes to learning math concepts — and learning in general — the continuum that students should place themselves on is this one:

Just starting out ----------> On my way ----------> I rocked it!

We are in math class for 180 days. During that time, every student will, at some point, occupy every single point on that spectrum. That stage is by no means permanent. It also does not assign any worth or value to the individual. At any given time, a student may be at the left end for some concepts, the middle for some, and the right for some. That's just the way learning over a long period of time works. Learning is a journey, and it's important that learners see it as such.

The longer I explore math, the more I appreciate its beauty. I genuinely enjoy working alongside kids to find patterns in the world of numbers and then to figure out how to make those patterns work for us. That truly is the essence of math. Mathematicians do three things: 1) notice patterns, 2) describe patterns, 3) generalize patterns. Learning quickly in math and doing math quickly is not a high priority at all. What is important to me is that students keep an open mind, take intellectual risks, are willing to explain their thinking, embrace mistakes as vehicles for learning and growth, keep exploring, and keep persevering.

It is sad and distressing to me when students subscribe to the notion of "I'm dumb at math," because for nearly all kids, that belief is simply false — and it causes real harm. Too many students miss out on a world of learning because they've given up on themselves before they've really tried.

A note on nuance: it is true that people have different aptitudes for math, and that a small number of students (research suggests roughly 5%) have a specific, diagnosable neurodevelopmental condition called dyscalculia, which causes persistent difficulty with number sense even with strong instruction and effort. That's a real, biological difference — not a myth, and not something a growth mindset alone fixes. But dyscalculia is rare, and it's not what's driving the "I'm just not a math person" belief in the vast majority of students who say it. For nearly everyone else, difficulty with math reflects where they currently are on the learning journey, not a fixed ceiling on what they're capable of. And even for students who do have a diagnosed learning difference, the right support, accommodations, and continued effort still make a real difference in what they can achieve — the growth mindset just applies differently for them than it does for most of their classmates.

The bottom line: nobody should assume they're "just bad at math" without cause, and almost nobody actually is. The ingredients for success in learning math, for the great majority of students, are effort, grit, and perseverance, paired with good instruction and support.

My greatest hope for this generation of math learners is that they would shift their mindset about learning and intelligence from the "dumb-smart" continuum to one that resembles a learning journey. I hope that as learners, they can develop a growth mindset rather than a fixed one. This change in mindset is the first step to learning math. Follow that up with some good old-fashioned hard work, and students will be on their way. Math is a very exciting subject if students allow themselves to be immersed in it.

Please read this article, "The Myth of Being 'Bad at Math'".

For more on growth mindset, please visit the Frustration Station section of the 8th grade math website.