Teachers conquering their math anxiety
Published by The Hechinger Report, in partnership with members of The Education Reporting Collaborative.
Teachers mark moments that mirror their experiences as they listen to instructors narrate the story of “Wendi,” a fictional preschool teacher who loves reading but struggles in math.
During an icebreaker session at the Erikson Institute’s summer learning program, Ivory McCormick, a teacher from Atlanta, talks with another educator about her experiences teaching math.
CHICAGO — In July, in a packed classroom in downtown Chicago, a group composed mostly of early elementary teachers and child care workers read a story about “Wendi,” a fictional preschool teacher who loves reading but struggles in math.
Even though Wendi was drawn to early education where “math was so easy,” she still felt unsure of her skills. In the story, she decided to skip math concepts, leaving them for the teachers her students would have next year.
Across the room, people nodded their heads as they listened.
“I am Wendi. Wendi is me,” said Ivory McCormick, a kindergarten teacher from Atlanta.
Teachers draw maps to visualize directions described in a picture book. Spatial awareness is a key early math concept.
Stacey Stevens, center, director of an early childhood regional training center for the Kentucky Department of Education, completes an exercise using standard unit blocks.
Erikson Institute researchers explain the impact that an incomplete math education can have on children during the early years of their development.
Posters made by teachers during one of the conference’s sessions line the walls of the Erikson Institute’s classroom.
Ivory McCormick, a kindergarten teacher from Atlanta, credits her school’s decision to hire a math specialist last year with helping change the way she feels about teaching the subject.