When I first start with a brand-new set of math students, I show them a little cartoon. It says, “How to be a math person. Step 1: Do math. Step 2: Be a person.” That’s it! Then I explain that doing math includes productive struggle.

Many students believe that struggling with math means that they’re somehow “bad at math.” But struggling doesn’t have to mean there’s anything wrong. It doesn’t have to feel negative, and it definitely doesn’t mean you should give up! 

I encourage students to accept that productive struggle is simply part of the process of doing math. It matters less that you have the right answer immediately, and more that you practice perseverance, resourcefulness, and curiosity. And since saying “Hey, just keep at it” can only go so far, I collaborate with students on concrete strategies that empower them to persevere. Here are 3 activities that helped us figure out how to keep at it: 

1. Make a Perseverance Bar Chart 

We brainstormed a list of perseverance strategies as a whole class. Some students said that if they didn’t know the answer to the question that was being asked, they would see if they could break it up into other related questions and then work their way toward what they were supposed to be finding. Others suggested working their way backwards – like during homework problems where the answer is provided for them to check their work – and trying to figure out what strategy was used to get the answer. And then there was the tried and true: Ask somebody! 

Each student wrote down their ideas on Post-its, and then we grouped these ideas in a way that made sense for us. This is a great tool because students can refer back to it at any point, whenever they’re feeling stuck. It reminds them that they’ve got options and, importantly, that trying something different is a normal part of the process.  Here’s what our bar chart looks like (inspired by educator Aleda Klassen): 

2. Take Group Work to the Whiteboards 

The nice thing about whiteboards is that they’re, well, vertical. That means that students can see one another’s work from across the room – and that’s especially powerful for sharing learning between groups. 

At first, some students were concerned about copying. So we talked about how copying is not the same as learning from your peers. When you look at what another group has done and try to figure out why they’ve done it, you can use that process to help you move forward in your work. This practice builds on our Perseverance Bar Chart, and reminds students that they’re empowered to actively seek out strategies to stay engaged in the process of doing math. 

3. Try Low-Stakes Self-Reflections

Part of student empowerment is deciding how they want to show up in class. What do they want out of their time in class? What practices would they like to make consistent? How can they take more control over their own learning? And most importantly, what are they going to do to help them achieve their goals and what do they need from me to help them get there? 

That’s what this self-reflection tool is for. Ideally, students use this tool at several points during our time together – so there are ample opportunities to reflect, reset, and act on their own observations. It’s a great reference point for our one-on-one conversations and – because it reflects their own goals back to them – helps students either stay on track or get back on track. The final self-reflection acts like a launching pad into their next math course – helping to highlight the skills and work habits students want to take forward. 

Each of these activities helps students consciously help themselves – reminding them of their options (and agency) when they would otherwise feel stuck.