Bad at Math?: Dismantling Harmful Beliefs That Hinder Equitable Mathematics Education

"In the year 2023, we still commonly see individuals from all walks of life and all levels of educational and career success, openly admit they are bad at math. We see this repeated in popular media like books, television, memes, and frequently in schools, as if it were almost a badge of honor. In contrast, most would be embarrassed to say that they cannot read. This seemingly trivial admission has a profound impact on mathematics education. Our well-intended discussions, books, and professional development efforts about improving mathematics achievement and centering equitable instruction are often tempered or even outright thwarted by a phrase that normalizes failure and deficit thinking. Even more importantly, it places failure squarely on the individual ensuring a narrowing of the conversation that keeps us from considering what larger social forces may be responsible for the reality that many do not excel in the subject. This book aims to openly expose and forcefully dismantle some of societies' most insidious and pervasive beliefs and stereotypes about what mathematics is, who can/does excel in it, how/why it should be taught, and what role it should play in our educational system and beyond. Both a social commentary and a toolkit of solutions, thebook directly challenges the social constructs about the subject that hinder our efforts at improving teaching and learning in this field; it likewise empowers and equips those on the front lines-mathematics teachers, supervisors, coaches, instructional leaders, administrators, and pre-service teachers-to use their spheres of influence to explicitly reshape the mindset and the narrative both inside and outside of their classrooms and buildings"--
Math really is for everyone—so let’s prove it.You’ve heard it from kids, from friends, and from celebrities: “I’m bad at math.” It’s a line that society tends to accept without examination—after all, some people just aren’t “math people,” right?Wrong. As we do with other essential skills, we need to expose the stereotypes, challenge the negative mindsets, and finally confront the systemic opportunity gaps in math education, and replace them with a new vision for what math is, who it’s for, and who can excel at it. In this book you’ll find Research on teacher and student mindsets and their effect on student achievement Audience-specific and differentiated tools, reflection questions, and suggested actions for educators at all levels of the system Examples from popular media, as well as personal stories and anecdotes Quotes, data-driven figures, and suggestions for deeper learning on all aspects of a positive and equitable vision of math educationBoth social commentary and a toolkit of solutions, this bold new book directly challenges the constructs that have historically dictated our perceptions of what makes someone a “math person”. Only by dismantling those misplaced assumptions can we reform math education so it works for everyone. Because in truth, we are all math people.