Transcript Coping with Math Anxiety Linda Retterath Math faculty What is math anxiety?  Math anxiety is an emotional, rather than intellectual, problem.

Coping with Math
Anxiety
Linda Retterath
Math faculty
What is math anxiety?
 Math anxiety is an emotional, rather than intellectual,
problem. However, math anxiety interferes with a
person's ability to learn math and therefore results in an
intellectual problem. (Academic Advising: Math Anxiety,
Jane Berg.)
 Math anxiety is learned. If we were able to accurately
study all the life experiences of a math anxious person,
we would be able to discover the circumstances under
which the math anxiety was learned. (Math Anxiety
Reduction, p. 8).
Math Anxiety Bill of Rights
by Sandra L. Davis
 I have the right to learn at my own pace and not feel put
down or stupid if I’m slower than someone else.
 I have the right to ask whatever questions I have.
 I have the right to ask for extra help.
 I have the right to ask a teacher for help.
 I have the right to say I don’t understand.
 I have the right not to understand.
 I have the right to feel good about myself regardless of my
abilities in math.
Math Anxiety Bill of Rights (cont.)
 I have the right not to base my self-worth on my math
skills.
 I have the right to view myself as capable of learning
math.
 I have the right to evaluate my math instructors and
how they teach math.
 I have the right to relax.
 I have the right to be treated as a competent adult.
 I have the right to dislike math.
 I have the right to define success in my own terms.
Success builds confidence,
set yourself up for success!
 Start at the right level. Math is a language and so just
like a foreign language, it is crucial to begin at the right
level. If you jump into a class that is too advanced, you
are setting yourself up for anxiety and problems.
 Don’t put off math classes till the end of your
community college career…that will just put extra
pressure on you.
 Decide to do your best! This will take discipline and
hard work, but you can do it. Work on having a positive
attitude about math.
Dealing with Emotions
 Feelings do not always reflect the truth!
 A person may “feel” like they aren’t able to do something,
when they really can!
 When you feel anxious:
 Name it- Acknowledge your fear
 Challenge it-What is the real reason I feel this way?
 Channel it- What positive steps can I take to overcome
this?
In a math class…
 Come to class prepared! Being prepared helps manage
anxiety.
 If possible, look over the material you will be covering in
class prior to class (read the textbook), so you have some
idea of what will be covered. It will make it easier to
understand what your teacher is teaching.
 Sit near the front of the class, there will be less distractions.
 Ask if something isn’t clear. If you don’t feel comfortable
asking a question in class, ask your teacher at the break,
after class or during office hours. Those hours are for you to
take advantage of!
In a math class… (cont.)
 Talk to your teacher! Their job is to help you understand and
master the material.
 Take notes in class, especially of problems your teacher
does on the board. Your teacher is doing those problems
because they think those problems are important.
 Make a friend…your classmates and you have the same
goal…to be successful in your class. Try studying with other
students on a weekly basis.
 Exchange phone numbers, or email addresses, with some
classmates, so there is someone you can get in touch with if
you miss class.
Outside of class…
 Try to review the material before too much time passes.
You want to review it while you still remember what your
teacher was doing and why. It’s good to set aside sometime
each week to go back and review earlier material. This
helps you put your new knowledge into long term memory.
 Do the homework! If you don’t know where to start, then go
to the tutoring center or to your teacher’s office hour to get
help with what you don’t understand.
 Make sure you learn the vocabulary. Math uses words in
different ways than they are used in other subjects.
 If you get frustrated, try going and doing something relaxing,
and then come back to your math.
Outside of class (cont.)
 Try to read the textbook. Look for boxes that show
important points or parts that are highlighted or labeled
“Helpful Hints”.
 Does the chapter have a review of the concepts? If it does,
you can use that to help you remember concepts that were
covered previously.
 Read through some examples before jumping into the
homework.
 If your class uses www.MyMathLab.com, or something like
that, try watching a video if you don’t understand a problem.
Be careful though about becoming too dependent on the
“Help Me Solve This” button!
Before the Exam
 If your teacher gives you practice problems before the
exam, make sure to do them! Try to simulate a test taking
situation…pick a time when distractions will be less and try
not to use any notes when doing the problems. Make sure
you check your work. If you aren’t allowed to use
calculators on an exam, don’t use a calculator when
preparing for the exam!
 If you don’t understand a problem or what the directions
are asking, ask your teacher!
 Practice visualizing yourself taking the exam and
understanding the problems. You are relaxed and
confident as you do the work. Take some deep breaths.
During an Exam..
 Think of an exam as a way to show off how hard you have worked!
 You don’t have to start with the first problem. Look through the
exam and begin with a problem you feel confident about.
 Make sure and show your work, step by step. That way, even if
you make a mistake, you can get partial credit maybe.
 If you have trouble with a problem, go on, you can always come
back to it.
 If you feel very anxious, try taking some slow, deep breaths.
 Try to concentrate on the math, not your anxiety!
During the Exam (cont.)
 Check your work before you turn in your exam. Have
you shown your work clearly?
 Don’t defeat yourself with negative “self talk”. If you
find yourself thinking, “I can’t do this”, talk back to that
voice!
 Remind yourself: “I have studied and I will do the best I
can. I can do this!”
 If you don’t understand something during an exam, ask
your teacher…the worse they can say is, “I can’t tell
you.”
After the Exam
 Go over every problem carefully and make sure you
understand why your teacher took off points. It’s even
a good idea to go over the exam with your teacher, ask
to make an appointment to do that.
 Look over the mistakes you made. Were they careless
errors or did you not understand some of the material?
Did you understand the directions for every problem?
 Save your exam to study from in the future and to use
to help you prepare for the final.
What is next?
 Practice relaxation and anxiety reducing techniques.
 When you choose your classes, choose a time that makes
sense for you. When are you most alert and have the
easiest time concentrating?
 Make sure you have a place that is conducive to studying.
Turn your phone off when you are studying!
 After you have worked on a problem and gotten it right, think
about what you did. Review the steps in your mind.
 You might even find that you enjoy math!
Sources:
 Hackworth, R. D. (1992). Math Anxiety Reduction.
Clearwater, FL: H & H Publishing Co.
 Tobias, S. (1978). Overcoming Math Anxiety. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Co.
 www.richlandcollege.edu/advising/mathanxiety.ppt
 http://www.counseling.txstate.edu/resources/shovervie
w/bro/math.html