I think I can't- I think...

I came out of "tutoring retirement" this summer.  The student that I am tutoring had a great fifth grade year, but he needed (according to his awesome mom) some help with math. Since I had not taught him in math, I was not sure of his math background.  Each session has gone well, and he has been great to work with as I tried to figure out where he needed the most help.

I have been thinking a lot about the impact of confidence and self-esteem especially in terms of how students (or adults) view themselves when it comes to math.  All year, I heard this student talk about his poor math ability and watched as he dreaded going to math class as a result.  He would come in early or stay late with his math teacher, but by the end of the year had convinced everyone that he was just a weak math student.  In reality, he may have some weaknesses in math, but he is nowhere near the poor math student he thinks.  After two sessions, he started to accept the small successes and started to  grasp the idea that I would not listen to him label himself as a poor math student nor  could he use that as an excuse not to try challenging problems.

Tonight was my favorite session.  There was a spark in his eye each time he found success, and he said "Wait, I got all that right by myself?  I didn't even know I could do that!"  I would love for elementary teachers and parents to make a diligent effort to refrain from comments about "being bad at math" or how "math was never a strong subject" to young minds who see this as permission to label themselves.  At ten years old, it is entirely too early to determine that for the rest of a student's life that he is bad at math...or anything!

I wonder the challenge that I will face as I enter the seventh grade classroom of having to "undo" many of these same self-fulfilling prophecies that students have been working on for years!

Feels good to get that out...Go math!