Math Attitudes
Math requires us to respond adaptively to difficulty and frustration as we learn new skills.
Maybe we need a new word that conveys not “it’s easy” or “it’s difficult” but “it’s difficult to realize that it’s easy.” - Jordan Ellenberg, “How Not to be Wrong,” pg 205
“It was so indescribably beautiful; it was so simple and so elegant. I couldn’t understand how I’d missed it and I just stared at it in disbelief for twenty minutes.” - Andrew Wiles describing his proof in Singh, “Fermat’s Last Theorem,” Chapter 7
- painting a wall vs opening a jar
- growth mindset
Productive Habits
- Reach out to peers
- Recall past successes
- Take a break to restore and recharge
- Reread the question carefully
- Try a new approach
- Read the online course notes
- Look for similar problems
- Use the internet very cautiously
Negative Self-Talk and Countermessages
- What do you do to develop perseverance?
- How will you respond when your mind creates negative self-talk?
Goals
It is my hope that you reach your highest potential. Everyone’s potential is different.
Keep in mind that your grade may not reflect your potential.