Breaking the Math Myth: Embracing a Growth Mindset

Math. For many of us, it’s a subject that brings back memories of struggle, frustration, or even downright avoidance. How often have you said, “Math isn’t my thing” or “I’m just not a math person”? As someone who’s uttered these exact words, I can definitely relate. But after listening to the latest episode of Beyond the Bell, I was left questioning my attitude about math.

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode’s conversation was the idea that many of us buy into a myth – that some people are just "math people" while others aren’t. Siobhain Millen, Assistant Superintendent and Math Lead, shared her thoughts on this with Chantelle, explaining how society has perpetuated this belief. 

Siobhain: Everyone is a math person. I think that there's this myth that has kind of permeated society that there's such a thing as a math brain or a math person and someone who is naturally gifted at math. And what we know is that's just not true…Typically [math] has been very performative, so we feel like we have to perform and get the answer right. And when that doesn't happen, we feel bad at it. And so we really have to kind of work at debunking that myth and coming to the fact that everybody can learn math and everybody is a math person.

We all need to shake off this myth that math is reserved for a special group of people. This message really struck me because, growing up, I always thought there was something inherently “wrong” with me for not picking up math concepts easily (if at all!), when in reality, it’s more about mindset than ability.

Siobhain: There's a lot of research that shows that our brains are very flexible, and so they're constantly growing and changing, and we have that fixed mindset that our brains can't learn something - that actually affects our performance! Having that growth mindset that perhaps we don't know it yet, but we can learn it really affects our performance and our attitude towards math.” 

Chantelle: There are some children's books out there about the power of “yet”. And we've heard that over and over, and it really does make a difference in terms of how we feel about ourselves as learners and how we approach things.

Siobhain continues by highlighting the importance of approaching math with a growth mindset – the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. 

Chantelle:  For parents… being really aware of our own mindset about ourselves when we're supporting our kids, we know that we want to model a growth mindset. So the self-talk that we use as we support them will make a difference with what they might take on or model themselves. So having that growth mindset for ourselves is important too.

Siobhain: Absolutely! It's difficult to do sometimes because for a lot of us, it's been years since we’ve revisited math. But just keeping that in check and using an encouraging voice – we know our kids are really capable! They can tackle hard questions, and they can be successful. We’re working on math being less performative, and more about deeper thinking, so struggle is expected and real. So that's why it’s important to reach out and have those good connections with the school and the teacher to support them in [developing] perseverance. 

Modeling a positive attitude towards math can make a huge difference, and even something as simple as showing enthusiasm for problem-solving can help change the way students see themselves and their abilities.

I’ve experienced pressure as a parent to be an expert in everything, including math. Where did the notion come from that parents need to know everything? 

Siobhain: Parents aren't expected to be the experts! I'm in the same situation. I've got a daughter who's in grade 12 university level functions, and that's not something that I can really relate to or get into too much with her. She's now beyond me in terms [math], but that doesn’t mean I can’t support her.

Chantelle: How should we be approaching some of these conversations when the math is coming home and it looks so different from what we remember?  We had one of those conversations in our family recently and we're already feeling like we're not sure how to support our sixth grader or coach him or help him with some of the math problem solving. 

Siobhain: I think it goes back to attitude. If parents are saying, “this looks harder, I can't do this. I was never good at math,” we're passing on these attitudes about math that are negative… I think it's important to keep an open mindset. So if your child is bringing math home that you haven't tackled in a long time, that's OK! You could just open up by asking them to tell you a little bit about it, “What do you already know about this topic? Why don't we take a look at something you've done before?” Just have that… openness. You do not need to be the keeper of the knowledge of math!

It’s all about helping kids build a deeper understanding and encouraging them to represent their thinking visually – which, according to Siobhain, is a key focus in today’s math classrooms.

Being a cheerleader and supporting the process can make a world of difference. That means being patient when things get tough and reminding your child that struggling with a problem is okay. As Siobhain says, “The struggle is where the learning takes place.” 

As much as I’d like to think I’ve made peace with math, life has a way of testing that theory—literally. With my own kids bringing home math homework, I find myself right back where I started, staring at an equation as my heart rate spikes and sweat forms on my brow.

The next time I find myself on the brink of complaining about how different math is, I’ll reframe: I don’t have to be the expert—I just have to be a supporter. I can ask questions, stay curious, and remind my kids (and myself) that struggling is part of learning.

Because in the end, the real formula for success isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about having the right approach: 

Support + Encouragement = Confidence in Math.