“Math is hard!” “Math is hard!” “Math is hard!”
Math is hard has become a fractious self-belief, an out-of-control rebellious slogan, a pushback. It’s saying enough is enough!
We want our students not to give up when stuck, to brainstorm when faced with a problem, to persevere, to be resilient in the face of getting knocked down, but yet this “math is hard’ problem continues to linger and confound them.
'It's not math that's difficult, it's that everything else is.'
My mission is to change that ‘math is hard’ narrative! It turns out math isn’t what makes math hard, it’s all the non-math stuff that makes math seem hard. A rethink on this 'math is hard' is critical, and the first step is to recognize that learning math isn't just about doing math. The 75% non-math skills and habits must be at the forefront, as the math part is a modest 25% of learning math.
Learning math is 75% non-math and 25% math.
What’s this 75% non-math stuff?
1) Thinking, 2) Strategies, 3) Habits! And none of those three have to do with math – they’re all learning skills needed!
Thinking helps you learn better (e.g. how to think, how to problem-solve, how to brainstorm),
Strategies help you understand the learning process (e.g. master fundamentals, how to understand the teacher, how to learn on your own, how to do math so you remember it), and
Habits are the steps that have the thinking and strategies become part of who you are (aka your character).
More on that 75%
It’s questions you’ve thought about already: How can I understand? How to remember? Why am I forgetting? How to study for a test? Why do I need to do homework? Why am I not getting my homework? How can I get more motivated? How can I get higher marks?
And there are others - Habits, learning strategies, problem-solving, procrastinating, how to think when your brain is yelling, “I don’t know how to do this question!”
I’ll keep going - I blank out on tests, I panic on tests, how to ask my teacher a question so I understand what they say, How to be better? How to do better? …, and I’m sure you can think of another seventy-five.
Habits and skills are the foundation of learning!
Here’s what I’m getting at. Students that find math hard tend to struggle with, for example, understanding, doing homework and motivation.
Consider two math students, A1 and B1: Student A1 does not understand, Student B1 does understand.
Consider another two students A2 and B2: Student A2 is not motivated, Student B2 is motivated.
And students A3 and B3: Student A3 has a habit of giving up quickly, Student B3 has a habit of persevering.
And this list can be continued - weakness in the fundamentals, not doing homework, …
To move Student A1 to a B1 type student is not a math problem! It’s an understanding problem!
To move Student A2 to a B2 type student is not a math problem! It’s a motivation problem!
To move Student A3 to a B3 type student is not a math problem! It’s a how to problem-solve and persevering problem!
Moving any of the A students to becoming B students requires strengthening learning skills and habits! And it’s no different than if I’m coaching a sport, say soccer and a player is struggling, I don’t tell them to work harder or you need to practice more. I first have to figure out why they’re struggling, and if it’s motivation, then I have to figure out how to motivate them. It’s then, not a “soccer is hard” problem, it’s a motivation problem! Learning is learning - it’s the same no matter what you’re learning!
Not understanding math? Get better with that 75%.
Want to remember math? Get better with that 75%.
I’ve been immersed in math learning for over 80,000 hours, and I can tell you that it is a lot simpler and quicker for me to show a student how to get and understand the 25% that’s math - it’s actually quite easy. But what isn’t easy and quick and smooth going is that 75% non-math stuff, as much of that is habit focused. And learning habits are not formed or created in an instant, they take time! But once in place, that ‘math is hard’ voice dissipates.
Math isn’t what makes math hard. It’s that other 75% non-math stuff.
Learning then, must include that 75%.
Final thought: That 25% is the math your teacher teaches and assigns in your course - the class notes, questions, assignments, homework, quizzes, tests, and it’s the math you do. The 75% is the thinking, the strategies and habits you need to do to get that 25%.
Best in math,
Edison
Edison Hopkinson (1-on-1 strategist for thousands of students, teacher, tutor, coach)
Learning strategist for math students
Strategies that help when you’re finding math hard.