Math Myths

Math Myths:    

“There is a ‘math mind’ – some people have it, some people don’t.”

“Math requires only a very logical mind.”

 

The myth that reminds me of my days as a math student was “There is a ‘math mind’ – some people have it, some people don’t.”  This one really hit home because at one time I thought I had a math mind.  A few years later, I was pretty much convinced that I didn’t have a math mind at all.  If I had a math mind to begin with, I wouldn’t have just lost it (along with the litany of other items at the bottom of my locker).  Now, I’m back to having a math mind.  Obviously, there is no such thing as a math mind, just the math experiences that we’ve had along the way that make us believe that we are either good at math or bad at math.  I’m lucky; I got a second chance at math.  As they say on TV, “Myth Busted.”

 

I never believed “Math requires only a very logical mind.”  I have a very logical mind, and I was a mathematical failure.  Some classmates of mine didn’t have an ounce of common sense among them, but were tremendous math students.  As a teacher, I’ve found this to be true as well.  Some people are just mathematically intuitive, not logical in any manner, but intuitive and creative.  These are the most important qualities for those who discover math, not just do math.

 

To help dispel these myths for my students, I constantly try to engage them in different thinking activities through problem solving.  Students need to try to solve problems rather than just do exercises.  There is a world of difference between the two.  It’s surprising to see the difference between thinkers and doers.  The students who run through homework assignments usually struggle with the problem solving activities and vice-versa.  By varying the strategies and activities, every student has a chance to excel in some area of math.  I am a true believer that success breeds success, so we need to optimize our efforts at assuring some kind of success at some level for every student.