Challenging Growth pushes youth to keep getting better.
Challenging Growth happens when tutors believe in students’ potential to improve. This is important since stereotypes greatly impact math learning (e.g. “Boys are better at math than girls” and “White and Asian students are better at math than Black and Latina/o students.”). Even if society labels students “at-risk” or “under-performing,” tutors must genuinely believe that students can succeed.

The following actions can Challenge Growth, and you'll find activities aligned with these below. Click here to download this page as a PDF.

Expect the best from your students.

Challenging Growth begins by seeing in students what they may not be able to see in themselves. Regardless of how others perceive your student, and what students believe about their ability, tutors can believe on their behalf. In a math tutoring context, this means communicating both learning goals and your confidence in students’ ability to reach them. Here are ways you can expect the best from your students:

    • Set high expectations that are clear, reasonable, and actionable.

    • Tailor guidance and pace in order to meet individual differences.

    • When students have a fixed mindset (e.g., “I am just not good at math”), question their internalized beliefs and remind them that math is a skill developed over time rather than an unchangeable identity trait.

Hold students accountable to their learning.

Students are not passive vessels waiting to receive knowledge; they learn more when they participate in the learning process. Tutors can hold students accountable to their learning and create an environment where students feel empowered to learn and share that learning with others. Here are some ways you can hold students accountable to their learning:

    • Engage the student in setting their own learning goals by asking what they want to learn.

    • Ask students to explain the steps they used to complete a problem.

    • Make time for students to teach you or one another in small groups.

Help students stretch.

Tutors can help students stretch past their current skill level in a math problem, during a tutoring session, or even throughout the whole semester. Finding a balance between pushing enough to stretch but not pushing so hard that students shut down takes practice. For more on this dynamic, see Scaffolding. Here are ways you can help students stretch:

    • Ask questions that help your students find answers on their own rather than telling them what to do.

    • Prompt your students to solve the same problem in multiple ways.

    • Prepare lessons with problems that range in level of difficulty.

    • Encourage your students to try out progressively harder math problems and tasks.

Help student reflect on their mistakes.
When students struggle with math problems, it’s essential to view this as a learning opportunity. When students make mistakes, tutors can help them not only navigate the math problem but question the assumptions they carry about their math ability. Here are ways you can help students reflect on mistakes:

    • Plan activities and assessments that prioritize learning from setbacks over absolute performance.

    • When students make mistakes (especially in front of peers), help them reframe the moment as an opportunity to learn and improve.

    • Consider creative approaches like presenting students with the steps of a math problem where you’ve hidden mistakes. Then have students work in pairs to identify and correct them.



How do you motivate your students to keep trying
when they are frustrated about math?



How do you respond when your students ace through math problems?


Activities that Challenge Growth


Challenging Growth is more constructive when expectations and goals are clearly communicated. The following activities can help you Challenge Growth in ways that are manageable for students in your learning context:

Four Pillars
Personal Reflection | 15 minutes

Growth Mindset
Personal Reflection | 20 minutes