Creating Positive Math Vibes in the First Weeks of School

Ah, math. The great equalizer. Pardon the pun, but that’s the most accurate way to describe the one school subject that transcends culture and geography. Simply put, math is truly universal. But its omnipresence means diddly-squat in comparison to the subject’s paramount and lasting importance in our students’ lives.

After all, the subject plays a crucial role in their ability to rationalize, analyze, handle money, and make themselves employable. Despite its importance, students’ attitudes toward math often lean toward mournful groans rather than expressions of enthusiasm.

In the first weeks of school, when the year’s tone takes shape, it’s possible for teachers to redirect the icky feelings kids have about the subject. So how do you create positive math vibes in the first weeks of school? We have a few ideas.

Establish Math Gamification

Look, numbers are rigid.

From simple addition to quantum calculus, a math problem ends with a right or wrong answer. While the way you teach math can vary, the way math works may as well be carved into the Tablets of Sinai. Which is why so many students find the subject so dour.

Enter math gamification. While there are a number of apps and computer programs that gamify math, we’re sticking with card and board games that allow students to work together. (Ahem, hello, ability grouping!)

Here’s a list of a few tabletop games designed for learning math in a more digestible but no less impactful way.

Proof!

Age Group: 9 and up

Marketed as the fast-paced game of mental math magic, this six-person board game covers the gamut of foundational math equations, including multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, and square roots. The game allows for modification, so teachers can choose which disciplines to play with based on what they’re teaching and where their kids need help.

Learn more about Proof.

Adsumudi

Age Group: 9 and up

Described as a monstrously fun, smart game for kids, this 15-minute game relies on multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction skills to win. Adaptable for multiple grade levels, Adsumdi’s versatility allows for 416 unique math challenges.

Learn more about Adsumdi.

Prime Climb

Age Group: 10 and up

One part strategy and another part luck, the Prime Climb math board game explores mathematical structures regarding multiplication, division, and prime numbers. This game is a bit advanced, so if you want to introduce it to your students below the recommended age, be prepared to provide a little extra guidance.

Learn more about Prime Climb.

Linear Graphs

Age Group: 14–18

This algebra card game has students work together with 12 matching sets of cards that feature graphs, equations, coordinate pairs, y-intercepts, slopes, and standard forms. What this card game lacks in flash, it makes up for in how it enhances critical thinking and reasoning through teamwork.

Learn more about Linear Graphs.

Use Real-World Math Case Studies

Remember when you were a student in math class? Specifically, do you recall how your teacher reminded everyone that they would not always have access to a calculator? Well, with the ubiquity of smartphones, that turned out not to be true. Nevertheless, math goes beyond what a gadget can produce. In fact, math is a key element in developing that very technology that has changed our lives.

Here’s something that will never change: Your students will want to see how and why math will make its presence known in their life outside the classroom. When you use real-world case studies to teach math, the numbers and graphs take on a deeper meaning.

Food Trucks at High Hills Elementary School

Some very smart and innovative teachers got together to design a large project that leveraged real-world math. To that end, these educators made math fun. The initiative asked students to use budgeting math to calculate how much profit they’d need to run a food truck.

The lesson plan prompted students to consider various variables, such as vehicle repair, gasoline costs, supplies, and permit expenses. In making math a tangible exercise, kids gained a deeper understanding of how to think critically about various elements that often get overlooked.

Learn more about this food truck project.

Math and Architecture

Every building, dwelling, bridge, and structure we see involves math at the core of its creation. It’s important that our students understand that, before any design takes shape, an architect used geometry, algebra, and trigonometry to ensure the durability of the finished project, the beauty of its features, and the safety of its users and inhabitants.

Consider giving history lessons on how architects used math to construct:

• The Egyptian Pyramids, which relied on volume equations
• The Guggenheim Museum, which boasts a beehive shape
• The Golden Gate Bridge, which uses a hyperbola to keep its integrity
• The Notre-Dame Cathedral, which architects used geometry to build in 1163 and to rebuild after the fire in 2019
• The Taj Mahal, which boasts a perfect symmetry that involves running perpendicular lines

Use PD to Redirect Attitudes About Math

Looking for more strategies to make math relevant and fun for your students? Check out these professional development courses from Advancement Courses:

• Tech Tools for the Math Classroom: Explore mathematical concepts through technology! You’ll learn how to differentiate instruction, encourage authentic understanding and assessment, and choose the best resources for different learning styles, gifted learners, and students with special needs.
• Fostering Mathematical Mindsets: Banish math anxiety for good! Create a learning environment that encourages students to access their natural mathematical abilities and recognize the math that exists all around them. Learn to help students develop authentic number sense and nurture a sincere enthusiasm for math.
• Teaching Math with Children’s Literacy: Say goodbye to math lessons that only focus on numbers, solutions, and computation! Learn how to develop combined math–literature learning experiences that are accessible to many types of learners, facilitate collaboration and math-based discussions, and encourage students to have FUN with math.
• Strategies for Developing an Engaging and Effective Secondary Math Curriculum: Get tools to strengthen your math instruction! Learn to integrate hands-on, real-world activities that highlight critical thinking skills, address different learning styles, build authentic understanding, and differentiate instruction.
• Real-World Applications for Algebra: Bring project-based learning to your math class to show your students why algebra matters in the real world. This course provides a foundation in basic algebraic principles, including equations, functions, and mathematical models, with emphasis on application in the business world.

In addition to these, Advancement Courses offers more than 280 online, self-paced PD courses covering both foundational topics and emerging trends in K–12 education. Courses are available for both graduate and continuing education credit for your salary advancement or recertification needs.