Rethinking Long-Held Beliefs in School Mathematics to Help Students Believe They Are Math People
For our December 2025 Roundtable, we welcomed Fawn Nguyen as a special guest. Fawn and a group of educators met to rethink some old ideas about school math—especially the belief that some people are just “not math people.” Fawn, who’s spent decades teaching and coaching, talked about how these beliefs get set in stone: the idea that math is just a ladder, that there’s always a right and a wrong answer, and that math is separate from culture or only for certain students.
She shared stories of students surprising everyone—especially when given open-ended, challenging math problems that didn’t require mastering every step in sequence. These experiences showed her that mathematical thinking isn’t about speed or rote skills, but about curiosity and making connections.
Fawn encouraged teachers to get real and share their own struggles with math, so students see them as human, not just as “math experts.” She said that celebrating mistakes and excitement around students’ thinking—no matter if it’s right or wrong—builds confidence and curiosity. Math, she argued, should be messy, collaborative, and full of conversation, not just drills and getting the “right” answer.
When asked about how to help students who feel lost or behind, Fawn emphasized that giving struggling students more challenging, meaningful problems—rather than just endless worksheets—can actually help them see the bigger picture and the “why” behind math. She also talked about how important it is for schools and families to build understanding together, since a lot of fear around math comes from not knowing its purpose—and that’s something everyone can help change.
In the end, Fawn’s message was clear: math is for everyone, and real growth happens when we challenge the old beliefs and make math learning about connection, exploration, and joy. If schools can move away from rigid structures and lift up every student’s thinking, we can help every kid believe: “I am a math person.”
