Changing the Math Mindset: How to Turn Math Haters into Problem Solvers

Educators! Game On!: How do you build confidence in kids when they struggle to learn a concept? I have it posted in my classroom. There's the whole thought process of not yet. I also have posted in my classroom ⁓ the power of not yet. I also have posted in my classroom the growth mindset. And at the beginning of the school year, I started in the very beginning. I teach them that you need to have a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset. You need to have the mindset that if I try a different strategy, maybe I can conquer this problem versus I can't learn, I can't do this. And then with the power of not yet, I don't know this yet versus I don't know this. You know, when you say I don't know this, it kind of cuts their mind from thinking beyond being able to know it, being able to learn it. So I I kind of I help change their mindset. Hey, welcome back. I know we've been gone for a long time, but welcome back to Educator's game on. Yes. We have been gone for a long time. We've been outside. It's summertime, baby. And outside. Like your kids say. Ain't no second. Nobody's been outside in 107-degree weather. Where are you there? In your house with your air conditioner. I've been inside. That's right. But my mind has been outside. Anyhow. Today we have another special guest. And Dramada Townsend, who happens to be a math teacher, and we know we none of us like math, but Ro likes math. She I like money. I'm so dumb with her. Hey, Miss Townsend. Hi. It's great to be here. Thank you for having me. So beautiful. Thank you so much for representing the Townsend. I don't know a lot of them, but you really representing. I appreciate that. I do what I can. So, first question I want to ask is What exactly do you do and how can somebody that's looking at this do the same thing? Well, I actually teach. So I am a secondary mathematics teacher, currently teaching at a middle school middle school. You said what do they need to do to to what do they need to do? A a a teacher. I mean a math teacher because there's a lot of teachers, but math is hard. We're gonna get to those questions in a minute. For California specifically, you need to pass what's called the C Best. So that's the California basic educational skills test and the proper C set, which is the California Subjects Examinations for Teachers test, along with any schooling needed to acquire the teacher credential specific for California. Let me let me just interrupt you real quick. Didn't Governor Gavin Newsom change it where the C Best if you have the necessary classes and you have taken statistics that you can qualify for the C Best? You know, you know better than I do. So I'm gonna say yes. I actually went through Teach for America where they sent me to Arizona. So you asked on Arizona and I got you. No, no. No, he he did because that's why Roe was able to do that because they didn't have where you have to pass all that. You have to just pass 'cause a lot of people can't pass the math portion, which is what you do. The C Vest kept catching me up. Right. So they exempted me from the math portion because I had taken statistics in college. So you understood. Okay. Okay. Well, enlightening everyone today. Let's go. So my other question is, you used to be teaching in Arizona and now you're in California? Is there a reason why? Besides the money, 'cause I know it's a difference in money. I actually wanted to teach in California when I joined Teach for America. So Teach for America is a nonprofit organization geared to get the best of the best. They put us through a really rigorous application process and multiple interviews, having to teach in front of a panel. And I wanted to be in the Bay Area. So they had Oakland open. And so that was my top choice was Oakland. That was where they send us where the need is for whatever subject we're doing. You just want to die, huh? Okay. Well, I had lived up in I had lived up in Northern California. So I went to UC Davis and that took me to Northern California. I've been to the Oakland area. As long as you're not outside during ⁓ New Year's, you're good. You well, don't don't don't don't don't don't quote that. Don't quote that. I I'll say God was always covering me. ⁓ thank God for that. I wasn't afraid of going anywhere. That's good. But they chose Arizona. So went to Arizona and taught there while I went to school as well. Well were you doing math the whole time when you went I was. Okay, so here's the thing. Were you always good in math that you chose math? Because you're very proficient now, but I if I remember, I don't think you really liked math back then. Actually enjoyed my favorite class in college was calculus, actually. Calculus. I was talking about high school. it then too, just just certain parts of it I didn't like. Geometry, I could do without it. But no, I grew up liking patterns. And on math you see a lot of patterns. And so with that, I was always drawn to the subject. There were certain times where I had hiccups. Well we we all have. But overall my experience was great. Here's what I want to ask you. We go through all this math that they teach and everything, and how often do we utilize it unless we're doing some type of mathematical studies or stuff? Why is it necessary for us to have math? Well, I mean, if you look at life, math is in everything. There's actually a man, if you hadn't put me on the spot, I would have had it already. There's a quote on my job email that I have that basically says that. Math is a part of everything. And if you like that science, if you I mean, it take history, that's a simple thing. Goes by years, you know, there's math right there. But yeah, everything. Math even in essays, you know, in order to have a paragraph, you can't just write three sentences. Well for how long have you been teaching? ⁓ me. ⁓ her. Yeah. It's not even about you right now. Okay, let's talk. How long have you been teaching a middle school Math. Or teaching in general. Teaching in general, just finished my twelfth year. Middle school math going into is this my fifth year now? Counting back? I think so. About my fifth year. Mm-hmm. Okay. Math is not everybody's favorite. No, it was never mine, but I didn't struggle in math, but I didn't like it. My question to you is, what do you enjoy ⁓ about teaching math? Because you have to enjoy it. Well, I can't okay. I'm listening to you, Rhonda. So So regarding teaching math, most of my kiddos coming into my classroom hate math. They do not like it. So what I enjoy the most are those aha moments I get from those particular students specifically. And those students, some of them coming back later and letting me know it's because of your class that I now enjoy math or that I now am willing to actually try to learn it. Engaging for students so that they don't hate it. Because you know, everybody hates math. We just talked about that. So I don't completely do the gamifying of lessons, but I do incorporate interactive ways of learning. So I will sometimes let students learn the material from me and then practice what they learned, let's say, on a platform, lookit.com, kahoot.it. ⁓ But you play Kahoot games with them with math, those are always engaging. Cahoots. Do you do you deal with a platform prodigy or XL for them? Prodigy, not as much anymore. When I taught back in Arizona, there were moments when I did use that. Yes. Yes. Cahoot is always the go to, I know, for even for English and science as well. Cahoot is a very nice, interactive way to get ⁓ into loving the subject matter. So how do you build confidence in kids when they struggle to learn a concept. I have it posted in my classroom. There's the whole thought process of not yet. I also have posted in my classroom of the power of not yet. I also have posted in my classroom the growth mindset. And at the beginning of the school year, I started in the very beginning, I teach them that you need to have a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset. You need to have the mindset that If I try a different strategy, maybe I can conquer this problem versus I can't learn. I can't do this. And then with the power of not yet, I don't know this yet versus I don't know this. You know, when you say I don't know this, it kind of cuts their mind from thinking beyond being able to know it, being able to learn it. So I kind of I help change their mindset. And so you just answered my question. I'm so sorry. I was gonna ask you, how do you encourage a growth mindset? You just explained, you have literature all around your room and then you you know, they go to that, they see it. So it's embedded in them to kind of get that in their mindset, like you said. Well, I I'm gonna ask a question before she starts ask another one. Do you tutor? Do. I do tutor. I tutored a lot more in the past. So ⁓ when I was But I'm not ⁓ let me cut you off real quick. I'm not talking about I'm not talking about tutoring students, do you tutor online where people can contact you or they their students or you know their their children or they need help with tutoring? That's what I'm asking. Working on that. That's a work that's that's a work in progress. Maybe after you do your eight and you hit the gate. You don't have no tutoring. That's thinking though. You were talking about online And when she's out of school and maybe on the weekends and she has extra time to tutor, all educators right here will be. ⁓ my Lord, Jesus Christ. Okay, just let her answer. Jesus. Help me shop. But she's gonna say no. So the way the school year works for a teacher, many times, especially with middle school, okay. I take it back, probably elementary too. Many times at the end of the school year. Our brains are too fried per se to really want to do too much in the education field. Now, am I open to doing that? Absolutely. Absolutely. By case on ⁓ you know, case to case basis. I'm not gonna advertise it at this point in time, but should someone be directed my way. That's why I teach college. I ain't gonna worry about that. I'm done. ⁓ What advice would you give parents who want to help their children succeed at at math? Because you know, it it's all a joint effort because what you teach them in the classroom has to transition to what they're learning at home because and I'm gonna give you a quick story. The reason why I say that is my daughter would come home to do homework and I didn't understand that they had changed math. They have common core math now. I don't know nothing about that, but We kept getting the right answers, but my daughter was sitting there scratching her head. She was like, But that's not how we do it in school. I said, But is the answer right? She was like, Yeah, but you did all that extra. So, and it confused the heck out of me. So I had to do a parent conference to go talk to her teacher, like, why is my daughter learning this differently than when I 'cause I'm a woman of a certain age. Right. ⁓ why is she doing it so much different? And it it seems to me it was harder because you know, I'm from the ⁓ like she said, the Well, I say it, the old school. You know. Say that. I said you were old. Do log division and log multiplication, and they've cut corners on it, and they've made it, I guess, simplified. So I guess the question was: what advice would you give parents like myself who struggle at home to help their children learn the same lessons that you're teaching? Because I'm telling you, I didn't teach my daughter the same way they were teaching her at school, because I didn't know how. Well, they had calculators. Who had calculators? Math shit. Anyway, answer that for me and then also expound why is math now common core? Because like I said like easier. Let me start with the last question first. I got my personal thoughts when it comes to curriculum. And I'm not gonna go too in depth on that. What I will say is when they put the panelist of teachers together to try and choose the proper curriculum, those particular teachers felt that the common core was the best direction to go. I know. I know. So a lot of times when I learn what new curriculum is being handed out to us, I put in the back of my mind that eventually I need to be, or like others with our mindset need to be on those types of panels. Now to answer your first question, first and foremost, If you have the money to do it, I know in this economy it's hard, but if you have the money to do it, immediately get a tutor. And not just for your child, but for yourself as well. Yeah. We can all learn still. That's a good idea. Absolutely. Now, if you don't have the money, doing things like conacademy.org. So going to that website where you they can show you walkthrough videos of the concept that you're struggling with. They can give you some practice problems. They can quiz you at the end. They can go back and reteach you if need be. Finding things like that are helpful as well. And I would encourage both again the student and the parent to be involved in that. So let me ask you this. Now that we said that, I don't know what the ratio is of minorities being math teachers versus not being a minority. Do you know anything about that? Like is it still beneficial for anybody, whether they're minority or not? to go into math because that's one of the subjects a lot of people just don't do when they do an education. They'll do reading comprehension. We don't see enough of that. Yeah, you're right. We don't see enough of that. I enjoy who I work with in whatever school I've worked at. I've enjoyed it. I've also noticed though, I don't think that people who are not minority can really reach our kids where they need to be reached. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I would definitely encourage that. It's just like therapy. They can't understand what we've gone through, what we're going through, what our parents have gone through. They don't understand that if it's not somebody as that's a minor minority. Yeah, they they haven't walked in our shoes. They don't know the background. Yeah. So they can say what they want to say, but they've never experienced what we've experienced in our life. And that's even for the young kids today that you teach. You're in seventh, eighth, and what else? Ninth, seventh, and eighth. Step seventh. Their parents have experienced what people still haven't experienced and they're still going to experience it. So do you encourage your students to go through mathematics, like go to college and do ⁓ okay. I just want to hear about that. Of course. All students. Understand, you know. ⁓ yeah, hey, I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Because other people might not do that. Listen, I would teach my students when I'm teaching criminal justice to ⁓ everybody go in. You know. You was looking over here at my paper because my question was what advice would you give someone considering a career as a math teacher? No, I Okay, but let her go ahead. I'm done. I mean, that's kinda like what you just asked her. I know. ⁓ I I killed her. Did I kill her? You asked her from Chicago. I don't pronounce the K's in some of my words. And it sound You don't need to explain yourself. Thank you. Yes. Okay, we're gonna move on from that. What mathematical skills since you just mentioned she teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth. What mathematical skills do you think are very essential for students to know going into high school? What is it as your job or role? Yeah, what what is it that they need to know? Stephen. Algebra and algebra thinking. Definitely. I would agree. Are you to that point with them by the time they leave eighth grade? I mean, where do you leave off at? What do you mean? Could you elaborate on that? Like what skill have you taught them all the way up through eighth grade? Is it algebra? So what I specifically teach, I work with the intervention students. Okay. So I'm working more to help them with their rudimentary space and bridge that gap. Bridge that gap that that they're missing. Gaps in education. Gaps in in math and in it. Yeah, and that's hard. That's hard. That is. That's hard. Because they have learning gaps, severe learning gaps. And and they don't already don't want to be there. A lot of them. Right. A H A. There there's really not much you can do until they get the help that they need to make ⁓ calm and where they can just concentrate on. Provide the services for them. So let me ask you this. ⁓ how much longer you say you've been doing that twelve years? When would you like to retire besides now? Yesterday. Yesterday. And actually if I could retire yesterday, I I would probably go in for a few more years at least. Yeah. Love it. Yeah. No, she does. She loves it. She loves it. Okay. I really do enjoy what I what I do for sure. Under the right circumstances, the right conditions. I I enjoy it. What what are you thinking about as far as how many more years you think you're gonna do this? 'Cause there's been twelve. And I was just having a conversation. I was about to do that math, yes. Okay. So with that being said, you know, in the next ten years. Ten years. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good thing next thing. Give me a little extra two just to, you know, help with that retirement funding. Well, I understand. But let me ask you this. As a teacher, you have to pass a certain credential before five years or something like that. You have to get a credential where you meet all the specifications 'cause I know you did that, so that people will know that isn't there a credential that you have to get so that you can be ⁓ what is it called? You know what it is, where you don't have to worry about you just pay for it every five years, but you have to get that credential with all the classes and everything. It's what you went through already. So you have to do in what's called induction. Yes. And some people might have well, I had to do induction coming from Arizona. Some people who are fresh out of undergrad, they have to come in as an intern, I believe. And the length of that for the intro, I'm not clear on. I don't know the details. Or the induction. It was a two year process for me. So I had to take nightly classes once a month. Mm-hmm. I had to do this long, long assignment. I forget off the top of my head of what it was called. I was just glad when I was done with it. Multiple page length assignment. ⁓ every semester. And ⁓ you had to meet with your mentors. They assigned you a mentor. I had the pleasure of having been blessed with a truly amazing mentor who's still in my life to this day. Yeah. ⁓ and that said, they have to read over that document you have to complete before you even turn in those documents. It's quite a process, it is, but it's doable. What I'm saying with that is if somebody's coming and I'm just going to talk about California right now, and they want to teach and they teach, but they still have extra stuff they have to do even if they have a teaching degree. Correct? It's a question for people who are watching who's I want to be a teacher. It's just not about going to school and learning how to teach and then you get up in the classroom. There are specific things that have to be met. Mm-hmm. Yeah certain requirements. Exactly. That's what I'm asking. Because I don't want anybody to get confused that ⁓ I can go to school and be a teacher. There's still conditions that have to be met to continue teaching. That's true. Absolutely. Okay, that's what I'm asking. I don't want nobody to get misinformed like, ⁓ I can just go to school and I can teach. No. You can substitute teach forever. Yeah. Without any type of credential, just a thirty day short term teaching if you want to be in this for your career, yes, there are steps that you have to take after you get your initial clearance. You have to that's what ⁓ unless you're doing college teaching. Totally different. She goes. Okay. No, I'm not And you and you know that part. You know that part. I'm just telling people, people don't is understand you can have a AA and teach at a junior college. You just have to have experience. Period. Okay. And that's the hard part. Yeah, you have to have experience. So let me give you a good example. Everybody that's watching, you have a two year degree and it's in I'm gonna say agriculture. So you have a two year degree in agriculture, because I'm gonna I'm not gonna look what I'm talking about because I could. Aviculture. You have to have a two year degree, but you have to have at least four years of experience doing that in order to teach at a junior college. If you have a bachelor's degree, and I'm just talking about California right now for all those people who are looking at Kenya and wherever. I hope somebody's looking in Kenya. But anyway you have to have a a you can have a four year degree and hopefully get your foot in the door in a California school, which is very hard. Otherwise you need a master's, you know, and then get in there, you might know somebody, you might not. Junior colleges are very hard to get into. I should know because I finally got into one after years. But if you have your doctorate, ⁓ it's so easy to do that. ⁓ do I have my doctorate? ⁓ yeah. Anyway, go ahead. Hey, for those who don't know, it was very hard process to get, but I got it. But thank by the grace of God. Amen to that. And Doctor Kenya Williams. Okay. She guided me along the way. I'm just saying, always need a mentor. And we were talking about their own you need a mentor. That's right. That's right. Who's your mentor? I have so many. That's a luck. Starting this way. This is the fucking mentor. Okay. Great answer. Good answer. Good answer. I have a question about artificial intelligence. How do you think that's gonna change the way math is taught? Are you going to be obsolete and out of a job soon? Definitely not out of a job. Definitely not. As long as you take the necessary trainings on how to properly use AI to assist with your teaching needs, making lesson plans, things of that nature. I think it's definitely going to free up time for teachers. ⁓ they can focus more on finding specific ways to reach those individual students because they're not focused on having to write a lengthy lesson plan, for example. For students, we'll see. The good thing is that there are a lot of platforms where you can monitor what students are doing. I'm hoping for nothing but the very best. Yeah, I I'm glad you said that. So how do we combat Gemini, which is Google's AI, ChatGP, which is Apple's? How do we combat that where students aren't cheating? Other than, you know, turn it in, put it in, and then it'll show you, ⁓ it has all this stuff. Have a problem with that, you know. I was actually planning this school year of testing a new strategy and that's going back to more paper based. show your work type thing. Yeah. That's what I'm used to. That's what I did. Show your work. I you create the questions. I want you to see what the answers I came up with from the book, not AI. Excellent. That's exactly what I did. And this is before AI. Nice. Okay. Absolutely. 'Cause I don't want nobody cheating. I didn't cheat. I couldn't cheat Listen. Sorry guys, I couldn't cheat. I know what you mean. Okay. You don't have a complexion. ⁓ did you hear what she said? I didn't say it. You proud. She don't have the complexion for the protection. So she can't cheat. True story. True story. Praise God. True story. And for those of you don't want it, sorry about that. But Speaking of that, before we end with Ms. Townsend who's been so beautiful and answered so many questions because a lot of people are not math teachers, yeah, very knowledgeable. We've said this in the past, we're not just here for academic educators. We're here for if you are washing windows, tell us how you did it. There are so many people out there that do not have jobs and they want jobs and How can we do this? Because you don't have to have an education to have a job. You can go to McDonald's. You don't have to have a job. You can go to Magic Mountain. You can be a street cleaner. You can be up to ⁓ what do you call it? A vendor, a street vendor that sells the tacos or whatever. It's employable, it's you know, it's something that people are interested. Hey, I I I make a good taco. I want a taco truck. How do I get started? No, she's being very serious because we both want taco trucks. Okay. I think I'm with the enchilada though. No, we're not making fun of this. What we're trying to say is our channel hasn't grown because of the simple fact that of course we've been off for a couple of weeks, even though we've been recording the whole time. It's just the fact that we haven't put the videos out there and you'll be seeing those. This video will come out in two weeks. But what we're trying to tell you is I don't care what country you're from, please hit up our channel, let us know what you do for a living, and we'll have you on here because a lot of people need jobs. Nothing's gonna change with people ever needing jobs. And a lot of people you don't need education. It just happens that God has blessed us to be educated. But we're trying to make sure that everybody is educated in whatever job they do. You don't need a college degree for that. Yeah, everybody has the ability to educate someone in their line of work, whatever it is. So I know the title is a little I won't even use the word off putting, but it it kinda gets people to the mindset, well, they're talking about teachers or they're talking about This, that. No, we're talking about any and everybody. We're talking about every walk of life. Anything that you do. I want to know how you do that. Exactly. So walk you know, come on to the show and let us know how to get into what it is you do. Do you guys remember Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs? Yes. He would go in there and it's the same concept how we're doing the thing that you just brought up. It's a it's a you know, I watch every episode. He's going in and saying, you know, and the same thing we're saying. There are jobs out there, people just need to speak up and let people know, hey, I have a window washing job and I'm gonna tell you how to do this. You don't need this, you don't need that, you just need this. I have a ⁓ what what do you call it when they're doing the ⁓ offloading, when they're loading the stuff up and they have the little certificate and they do the security guard, you know, whatever it is. Please hit us up. We wanna see you on our channel and we look forward to you being on our channel. Please, that's what we're saying. Right. We're all educators. And sorry that you guys thought it was education. It's not. Stop. Got one last question for you, a closing question. Okay. If your students could remember you for one thing in your class years from now, what would you hope it would be? Okay, this one brought tears to my eye this past school year. Giving them the confidence in their own selves to know that one, that they're perfect just the way they are, and two, that they can do anything they put their mind to. ⁓ ⁓ you love the kids. I'm glad you got it. So you can beat ⁓ No, you can't. ⁓ Lord. Not on my books, not on my dog. Very nice. Don't send them to my house so you know what's gonna happen. ⁓ no. ⁓ I am the police. Okay. This just went laugh. So many ones. ⁓ sorry about that. Okay. Peace. All right. Thank you so much for being here with us. And thank you for having me. It's been a joy. It's been very fun. You've you've taught us a lot. Thank you. And I had some good laughs along with it. So make sure you come back to our panel when we have our panel. ⁓ yeah. Yes. Don't don't talk about ⁓ I have to figure out. No, I'm gonna make sure it's right in tune with what the day you got. Okay, ladies. I already know you. All right, thank you so much. Everybody, thank you so much for joining in. Please make sure that you pay attention to what we're saying. It's not about academics. It's about anybody that has a job that they can educate other peoples on. Did I say other peoples? You sounded like me more and more every day. ⁓ my god, I need to stay away from her because my language is just changing. Pretty soon I'm going to ask somebody. Anyhow, thank you guys. Ro you have any last words? I just wanna say I'm glad we're back and I hope to see you guys viewing in soon. Exactly. Thank you guys. See you later, okay? God bless.