Addressing Math Anxiety for Minoritized Students • Joseph M. Bernat (Adjunct Instructor of Mathematics)

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Years ago, working both in the math skills center and in the classroom, I noticed an increase in math anxiety particularly among women students and racially minoritized students. This caused me to revise my pedagogy to better serve these students who often simply need an extra boost of confidence. For example, I used to do what my professors had done for me: Give students a math problem and ask them to solve it, being sure to show their work. What I noticed, though, is students would sometimes start solving the math problem, showing their work, and then they'd begin erasing and scribbling, etc., and end up handing me a blank sheet—with all of their work erased and no answer provided. I could see that they had started doubting themselves, losing confidence in their direction, questioning their solution. It seemed like an "imposter syndrome" situation to me, and it was heartbreaking that they'd rather hand in a blank piece of paper rather than their solution. 

So my JEDI approach was to revise my approach to my assessment/exam questions. I now provide the students with the algebraic problem along with the correct answer and ask them to show the math that would arrive at that solution rather than leaving it open ended. This has made a phenomenal difference because now the students can see the correct answer and focus on the actual math. They work diligently to arrive at the solution. This approach motivates them to put forth a stronger effort. Instead of jotting down an answer and rolling the dice, they are able to compare their results to the correct solution provided and work more effectively. They now attempt the problem 2, 3, 4, or even more times and really persevere until they're able to reach the correct solution, which is the ultimate goal of the assessment.

I also work hard to encourage a growth mindset in students, so here are three JEDI strategies I use: 

1. I encourage all students to work on examples on their own during class rather than outside of class. This is difficult at times because we have so much material to cover, but a critical aspect of teaching first- and second-year level mathematics courses is confidence building. 

2. Instead of asking students to share the correct answer when working on problems in class, I ask them to share the questions that they have. Then they can see that everyone else has questions too—another confidence builder.

3. I don't call on the first person who raises their hand or volunteers an answer. I believe that doing so emphasizes speed rather than the process of individual problem solving. I'm much more interested their perseverance and effort, and for most students that takes a little time. 

These JEDI approaches have made a significant difference in my students' confidence and ability in my math classes and, I believe, help them to see that they really do belong in college-level math and can do college-level math. I explain more in this video.