Our Approach-Mindful Mathletes
To nurture mathematical and growth mindsets in students, each week's workshop in the Mindful Mathletes curriculum is structured in the following ways:
Step 1
Instructors explicitly communicate a message about mindset or a big idea in math learning, leading to a math task.
Students learn the value of mistakes, struggle, visual thinking, etc. while acknowledging misconceptions about math learning.​
Low-floor, high-ceiling math tasks:
All math tasks used in our workshops are designed to encourage multiple analytical perspectives and problem-solving strategies as well as foster students' logical reasoning, number sense, and/or visual thinking.
Step 2
Instructors introduce the math task. Students work on it in groups with limited help from the instructors.
Inquiry-based learning:
Rather than passively receiving knowledge, students engage in meaningful exploration. Limited instructor intervention offers students ample growth, learning, and collaboration opportunities.
Compare and Discuss Multiple Strategies (CDMS):
Instead of following one series of steps, students learn and reflect on various approaches to solving a problem by comparing and explaining the reasons behind the different methods,
Step 3
Students present their discoveries and thought processes. Instructors summarize students' ideas on the board and contribute additional perspectives.
According to Harvard/Vanderbilt research, CDMS enhances algebra understanding by promoting procedural flexibility and deep conceptual knowledge.
Step 4
Instructors recap the discussion and highlight the main takeaways; they may also show a math problem's connection to the real world or extension to a more complex situation.
Step 5
Instructors hand out reflection worksheets to students or distribute surveys to collect student feedback.
View our sample workshop plan here.
Combining these elements in our workshops, we inspire students to embrace their inner mathematicians, expose them to math's open and creative nature, and highlight their roles as sense-makers and deep thinkers within math.