Im sure we have all heard at least one mathematical myth in our lives. Did we believe it? Did it stick with us for years? Did it deter us from exploring mathematics altogether?

The Using-Tools-Is-Cheating Myth

One of the great mathematical myths is that we should do all of our maths mentally, in our heads. WHY?

What is so wrong with using a calcualtor, or better yet our own hands?

When you are learning a new maths problem and it just makes no sense why can’t you try out every tool and strategy possible to help you to understand the problem. When children are told ‘no using your fingers’ and this is the only way that they can understand, how does it make them feel? That the teacher is their barrier, that they want them to fail? Ultimately that child will stop trying.

 

The Genuis Myth

Who says that you need to be clever to be able to do maths? Or who says cleverness is defined by mathematical ability?

I have heard so many times from young children, ‘I can’t do this because i’m not as clever as them’. Where do they get this from? I would imagine that it would have stemmed from hearing this myth at some point in their life.

Belief in this myth will cause children to simply give up, not just on mathematics but on anything. A child struggling with mathematics who has belief in this myth will put their struggle down to just not being clever. And because they are ‘not clever’ they will adopt the mindset that they cannot do mathematics, no matter how hard they try, and so why bother.

Similarly if a child is really trying to get to grips with mathematics but despite their efforts doesn’t quite get it, they will adopt the attitude of, well if I can’t do maths then I must not be clever. This attitude can lead to low self esteem and can also mirror in other subjects.

This is why it is so important in our classrooms that we do not allow this myth to be instilled into our children. Everyone can do maths!

And last but not least…

The Who-Needs-It-Anyway Myth

This is the myth that is most well known and most embedded in our soceity. I have even said it myself sat in a maths class looking at a ridiculously complicated formula and saying when am I ever going to use this again.

But as I identified in my previous post we use maths every day! And we often don’t even realise.

As teachers it is our responsibility to eliminate this myth by introducing mathematics in relevent contexts to show children that we DO use maths and that it is important.

We need to work hard to eliminate all mathematical myths which deter our children from exploring the subject. I have identified the importance of mathematics in my life through this module but not everyone has explored it like I have.

We cannot let people live their lives by these mathematical myths, and this starts in the classroom.

Starting off in the Discovering Mathematics module is terrifying.

Maths is certainly not my strength, especially as I have not used or looked at maths since my 5th year of high school.

Well that’s a lie! Those were my initial thoughts on my participation in mathematics, but actually I use elements of mathematics each and every day. I just hadn’t realised.

As part of our assignment we have to discuss the use of mathematics in the wider world, outside the parameters of education. And so I began to think of all of the mathematics that I use in my life.

I work part time in Pizza Hut, the restauarnt. Roughly every 10 minutes a customer waves their money in the air signalling that they are ready to pay their bill. And I have to work out how much change to give them and take it out of my float in my apron. This was relatively simple for me to identify as mathematics that I use daily. Simple addition and sutraction. And even more basic, the recognition of money itself. Now this part of maths I am pretty good at, and im not being vain. I HAVE to be good at this if I don’t want an angry mob of Pizza Hut customers coming after me because I gave them incorrect change.

There are many other instances in my life where I use mathematics.

Again in Pizza Hut when I am working in the kitchen I have to make our Pizza sauce in large batches. There is only one recipie for one set amount of sauce, but life just doesn’t conform to one set recipie. Sometimes we need more and sometimes we need less. I had not realised until I really thought about it but I use RATIOS! If you had asked me last week, when was the last time I used ratios I would have told you way back in 3rd year!

I also use time on a daily basis. Everyone does! Telling the time of course, but also I use time alognside problem solving. When I wake up in the morning I need to work out how much time I can use to get ready leaving enough time for the drive to uni, the time spent trying to find a parking space and the walk to class in order that I arrive on time. And with the traffic in Dundee this takes a lot of brainpower. PROBLEM SOLVING.

The burning question in my mind is why I had to think so hard to uncover mathematics in the things I do day-to-day. Why don’t we immediately think of maths?