Supporting Struggling Math Students

Michelle Matz presented at this year’s AIMS Summer Splash event in July! You can view Michelle’s presentation here, along with the tools she uses to support her students in math. For more information, contact Michelle as we learn and grow from each other in the field of middle level education. 

Every year ushers in new faces and new challenges in our classrooms. Every teacher has met a student who struggles with math in the general education classroom; sometimes we can already see the defeat on their faces as they walk in. I will focus on sharing changes that I have made to my mindset, my lessons, and my overall understanding of the transition from elementary school to middle school—and how teachers can help students build their own success! While planning for success, we must also shatter the myth around one of the most commonly used phrases by math teachers. This presentation focuses on this mindset shift, and how it has changed my ways and allowed me to reach a targeted group of students. I look forward to spending some time discussing those reluctant students and hopefully changing their path towards understanding and confidence in the only subject that “counts”!