Gaining Confidence in Maths

There is a common opinion that some people are “good” at maths and other people just aren’t. It is acceptable to say “I’m just no good with numbers” or “I don’t see the point of algebra” whereas we are embarrassed to say “I’m no good at writing” or “I don’t see the point of reading”. Admittedly some of the maths we learn at school can seem a world away from the maths we deal with every day and it is probably easier to avoid numbers than it is to avoid words. But in the end being confident with maths is as important as being confident with English because it allows us to feel more at ease in the world.

So how can you go about getting more confident with maths? It can be as simple as taking the time to learn your tables by heart so that you can feel confident with basic arithmetic or it could be more in-depth such as deciding to get to grips with GCSE algebra.

Unlike English, maths is a universal language which is understood around the world. Symbols such as “+” or “=” mean the same to us as they do to a Russian. One of the most important tasks I do as a tutor is to help students to understand the language of maths. Once you have mastered this language algebra and all those calculations can seem like less of a mystery.

Maths is mainly about logical problem solving by gathering information and using it to find an answer. That is why it is such a great subject to work with. It encourages us to break problems down, work with what we have and be persistent and creative to find the answer. One of the things some students say they enjoy about maths is that the problems have a right and a wrong answer. However whilst this is true there are often many ways to reach that answer and that is where we can get creative with different methods.

When I am tutoring I like to offer my students different methods and then help them to work with their preferred system. Some students like more visual methods such as flow charts whilst others prefer more abstract methods such as balancing. Each method has its pros and cons and by choosing a method that fits their thinking style students can become confident with topics that have previously been difficult for them to understand. Whilst some teachers are worried about “confusing” students with too many options I find that by talking through the different strategies students gain a greater insight into the topic and feel more in control of their learning.

By developing confidence in maths we can become better problem solvers in general (as well as spotting the best deals at the supermarket!).