The Myth of the "Math Person"

Do you consider yourself a math person?

When I tell people I'm a math teacher the reaction is often "Good for you!" or "I love math!" or "That's really important!" Yet one reaction I hear very commonly is "I was never very good at math."

This bothers me. While I agree that there are people who are more left-brain thinkers and people who are more right-brain thinkers, I have an underlying principle which I have lived by for the last decade: There is no such thing as "not a math person."

Science educator Bill Nye strongly believes that math is a skill that anyone can figure out,

"When it comes to math there is no substitute for practice...You just have to practice. So when you come to me and say 'I'm bad at math', I am open minded of course but skeptical. I bet you can do it whoever you are."

Math is a language. It has simply been separated from the language arts for far too many years.

Still not convinced that you're not a math person? Watch the video below by mathematics educator Jo Boaler. She speaks with such clarity and such relatability to make the point that ALL people are capable of learning math, just as they are capable of learning any other skill.

So what do you think? Do you know anyone who is an avid reader but also a strong mathematician? Did you like math in school? Did you wish it was taught different?

Feel free to comment below.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.