Anxiety is a REAL thing in schools today! 

I first started teaching in the ’80s (Yes, I’m that old!!), and seeing math anxiety in kids back then was really not noticeable – at least I don’t remember personally being aware of it at all.  But now – Wow! Things are very different.  

I once had a student who was selectively mute.  That means he was sometimes not able to speak when called on, even though I would only try to call on him when I knew he could be successful. He literally would open his mouth, and nothing could come out! 

I also had a student who was so riddled with anxiety that she sometimes would go into a full-blown panic attack, and not be able to leave the car in front of the school. If I hadn’t witnessed this first-hand, I’m not sure I’d believe it.  But anxiety at school, particularly math anxiety, is a real thing.

Researchers think 20% of the population suffers from Math Anxiety, and that it meets the criteria of a phobia. I was shocked by that! And one article written by Miami-Dade County reported that approximately 93% of adult Americans experience some level of math anxiety.

Have you seen signs of math anxiety in the classroom?

Here are some ways you may have seen evidence of this.

Avoidance

Avoidance could be “forgetting” to do math work or giving up easily on math tasks. 

I recently worked with a student who would answer “I don’t know” almost immediately, and it became clear that this was a defense mechanism.   I’m sure in the past, giving this response got her out of the obligation to continue to think about it, and the answer was probably provided. 

When we see avoidance, it often makes us think of a purely behavioral issue, but, how much of the defiance we see in the classroom, could be fueled by anxiety? 

Negative Self-Talk

Do you ever hear your students saying the following:  I CAN’T do…., There is no point in trying.  I’ve messed up too much to finish.  If so, they may be experiencing anxiety to some degree.

Intense Emotional Reactions

If you notice a student start panicking, grow angry, or get teary-eyed during math class, they could have math anxiety.

What are some Possible Causes of Math Anxiety?

Fear of Being Wrong

Math has been taught with such an emphasis on only finding the right answer, that it leads to this fear.   What is especially sad about this is, many times kids have the wrong answer, but did SO much good thinking on the way, and all the good happening is being discounted. 

Parents’ Attitude Toward Math

Many a well-meaning parent has told their child after they have expressed discontentment with math work, “I understand that sweetie, I didn’t like math either”

Although they are trying to empathize here, they are unintentionally reinforcing to them, that this feeling will probably not change, AND worse yet, they are reinforcing an identity of the child, that does not include math.

The Pressure of Timed Tests

Some kids absolutely fall apart or totally freeze up when they are timed in math.  Yes, fluency is important, however, how we define this is varied.  And timed tests are not always the answer.

In conclusion, it is very important that we as educators understand this is most likely impacting some students in our math class. In addition, we should consider this when planning our lessons and creating our class atmosphere.

If we truly want our students to reach their FULL potential, these considerations could make a huge impact on some of our students.

Let me know if you’ve seen signs of increasing anxiety in your math class and what you have found to be helpful.

Watch for the upcoming post on “How Do We Help Kids Who Are Anxious about Math?

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