Math Anxiety Workshop Script

Math Anxiety Workshop Script

This workshop script was created by Math Professor Niel Katz and College Counselor Apolinar Peralta, NYC College of Technology Brooklyn, NY

I .Objectives

At the end of this presentation, students will be able to…

1.      Identify and understand the causes of math anxiety

2.      Explore how cognitive memory processes are related to anxiety /memory blocking

3.      Reduce math anxiety by applying stress-reducing techniques

4.      Change opinion about math and anxiety formation based on knowledge, not myth

II. Definition

Math anxiety is a learned response, and, as such, it can be unlearned by exploring and understanding the causes that trigger it. Anxiety is also a physical reaction to stressing situations, and its signs can be identified and controlled by proper cognitive and/or relaxation exercises, like accepting your fears and acknowledging your feelings or practicing a relaxation exercise involving breathing techniques; and also, by having determination, by turning negative-self-talk into positive self-talk, and by creating good study habits.  Contrary to myths related to math learning, we all have an innate capacity to learn, the difference being that past experiences sway us towards rejecting or accepting this or that subject.

Math is a creative discipline and, as such, it should be approached like any other subject. If we realize that our brain does not discriminate what it can learn, we’ll be better able to understand that learning math and reducing the anxiety associated with it, is a matter of validating our feelings/physical reactions and analyzing how certain negative constructs were formed in us.

III. Physical Reactions or Signs to Math-related Anxiety:

(Presenter starts by encouraging group to participate. Here are some questions.)

When did you first realized that you disliked mathematics?

What do you fear about math?

Do you experience any physical reactions when studying for a math test?

Could you tell us how you cope with it?   

Procedure:

1.                  (Presenter goes to chalkboard and invites comments from students about physical reactions to math-related anxiety. He/she writes each response on the board and makes comments to clarify issues or validate feelings, if needed. At the end of this exchange, presenter asks students to take out flyer on symptoms (Appendix A) and goes through the list, explaining them. Comments from students are acknowledged and feelings validated.

Causes of anxiety.

1.    a) Past experience: Failing a test, facing demanding teachers/ parents; embarrassing  situations. (Invite group participation; take a few examples --Use discretion. Students might be intimidated/shy about reviling personal issues.)

    b) Fears associated with math and group’s reactions to it. (Probe fears. Define

 Constructs/worldviews, false beliefs, myths about math (See appendix B.)

    c) Cognitive coping strategies (defense mechanisms). (Have students talk about how they cope with/avoid math. Some strategies are:

Coping: Studying longer hours, seeking help, conferring with Prof.

Avoidance: Changing majors, don’t minding poor grades, becoming passive. (Have

students explain themselves. Probe emotional reactions/feelings.

Rationalization: Finding reasons why it is okay, and perhaps even inevitable, to feel anxious. Rationalization is nonconstructive because it will do nothing to lessen or help the student get rid of her/his anxiety.

Suppression:  Having awareness of the anxiety but trying very hard not to feel it; it is usually accompanied by some pretty severe self-criticism (negative self-talk).

Denial: People who avoid math carefully construct their lives so as to avoid

mathematics as much as possible, they therefore choose careers that are not associated

this subject.

(At the end of this activity, presenter introduces the Cognitive Restructuring Exercise, but

 not before going over Appendix E, How Memory Works.

 Procedure:

a) Ask group to pull it out, along with the scratch paper provided 
b) Acknowledge source and read the following instructions:
For the next 10 minutes or so, we are going to do an exercise. The purpose of this exercise is to have you become aware of any mind blocks that might trigger math anxiety. Read the text carefully, and jot down at least two negative experiences related to math that cause you to have physical reactions or feel anxious when studying math or preparing to take a test. 

IV. Solutions:

Procedure: Presenter will invite comments from the group and validate their experiences/feelings (jot them on the chalkboard, if necessary)

 How to handle Math Anxiety:

--Being well prepared by studying the subject well in advance. (Give study tips here -refer them to the Counseling Center's workshops and mention flyer listing them (provided).) Add something like: This kind of confidence helps you place normal amounts of anxiety in perspective.

--Changing the way you talk to yourself about tests (Probe the student's constructs about and encourage them to consider changing their views if success is expected, etc.)

--Directly changing the ways your body responds to tests. Acknowledge your physical reactions; practice a cognitive or a breathing exercise to relax you. 

--Encouraging students to start coping with their test anxiety right at the beginning of the course by creating/planning regular study habits and sticking to them.

--Thinking of math as a tool that will help them get a good job.

--Challenging math myths (Invite students to contribute with math myths they have heard  (Appendix B)

--Getting to know your school resources: Get to know your math instructor, study additional material, attend study skills workshops or join a math study group or math club.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Appendix A

Physical signs of Math Anxiety:

On the physical level, anxiety involves overt activity of the parts of the nervous system that control heart rate, respiration rate (breathing), and some other functions. (See list below.)

--Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate       

 --Rapid heart rate

--Dry mouth                                                                          

--Chills/Shaking

--Sleepiness                                                                           

--Fatigue/Exhaustion

--Fear or worry                                                                      

--Numbing

--Feeling overwhelmed                                                          

--Anger/Irritability

--Sadness                                                                              

--Feeling lost/Abandoned

--Feeling guilty or shame                                                        

--Resentment

--Avoidance                                                                          

--Rapid breathing

--Sweaty palms                                                                      

--Butterflies in the stomach

--Muscle tension                                                                    

--Dryness in the mouth

--Trembling or shaking                                                           

--Sensations or shortness of breath or smothering                                                               

--Feeling of chocking

--Chest pain or discomfort                                                    

--Nausea or abdominal

--Distress                                                                            

--Feeling dizzy, unsteady,

--Lightheaded, or faint                                                         

--Fear of loosing control or

--Going crazy                                                                        

--Chills or hot flushes.

--Racing thoughts                                                                  

--Difficulty concentrating

--Numbing, going blank                                                         

--Racing thoughts

--Intrusive thoughts/flashbacks`                                            

--Memory/concentration

Problematic thinking:             

--Overgeneralization,                                                            

 “Must”, problems:

            All-or-nothing thinking                                                                      

            “Should” statements

            Catastrophizing

Denial

Rumination

--Hyper-vigilance                                                                    --Restlessness, easily agitated

--Alcohol intake                                                                      --Isolation/withdrawal

--Change in activity level                                                        --Excessive sleep or

--Sleeplessness                                                                        --Eating disturbances

--Procrastination                                                                      --Stomach problems

--Muscle tension/Muscle aches                                               --Headache

--Increased smoking. 

 

Appendix B

Myths:  

Myths, from Greek, a telling of tells or legends. Justifying or rationalizing the fear or frustration one experiences.

Myth #1: Aptitude for math is inborn. Some people are just more talented in some areas, and to some degree it seems that these talents are inborn.

Myth # 2: To be good at math, you have to be good at calculating. Mathematics is a science of ideas, not calculations.

Myth # 3: Math requires logic, not creativity. We want things to make sense. Math anxiety is an emotional response. Sever math anxiety is a learned emotional response, not just a one more logic premise or problem.

Myth # 4: In math what’s important is getting the right answer. Understanding the concepts is key here. Although getting the right answer is as important, understand the subject and working sequentially is very important.

Myth # 5: Men are naturally better than women at mathematical thinking. 

Appendix C/Cognitive Restructuring Exercise

This exercise involves making as conscious as possible the sources of math anxiety in one’s own life, accepting those feelings without self-criticism, and then learning strategies for disarming math anxiety's influence on one’s future study of mathematics.

Begin by understanding that your feelings of math anxiety are not uncommon, and that they definitely do not indicate that there is anything wrong with you or inferior about your ability to learn math. For some this can be hard to accept, but it is worth trying to accept - since after all it happens to be true. This can be made easier by exploring your own “math-history.” Think back across your career as a math student, and identify those experiences which have contributed most to your feelings of frustration about math. For some this will be a memory of a humiliating experience in school, such as being made to stand at the blackboard and embarrassed in front of one’s peers. For others it may involve interaction with a parent. Whatever the principle episodes are, recall them as vividly as you are able to. Then, write them down. This is important. After you have written the episode on a sheet(s) of paper, write down your reaction to the episode, both at the time and how it makes you feel to recall it now.(Do this for each episode if there is more than one.)
 After you have completed this exercise, take a fresh sheet of paper and try to sum up in a few words what your feelings about math are at this point in your life, together with the reason or reasons you wish to succeed at math. This too is important. Not until after we lay out for ourselves in a conscious and deliberate way what our feelings and desires are towards mathematics, will it become possible to take possession of our feelings of math anxiety and become free to implement strategies for coping with those feelings.
 

At this point it can be enormously helpful to share your memories, feelings, and goals with others. In a math class I teach for arts majors, I hand out a questionnaire early in the semester asking students to do exactly what is described above. After they have spent about twenty minutes writing down their recollections and goals, I lead them in a classroom discussion on math anxiety. This process of dialogue and sharing - though it may seem just a bit on the goopy side - invariably brings out of each student his or her own barriers to math, often helping these students become completely conscious of these barriers for the first time. Just as important, it helps all my students understand that the negative experiences they have had, and their reactions to them, are shared one way or another by almost everyone else in the room.
If you do not have the opportunity to engage in a group discussion in a classroom setting, find friends or relatives whom you trust to respect your feelings, and induce them to talk about their own experiences of math anxiety and to listen to yours.
Once you have taken possession of your math anxiety in this way, you will be ready to implement the strategies outlined below. 

Appendix D

Focus on the Classroom:

Case 1

A student in my class was able to do simple arithmetic, but was having difficulties with algebra.  He met me and we discussed his situation.  He did very well in all his classes except for mathematics.  He told me that he always had trouble with math.  I encouraged him to try the homework problems assigned after each class and then to ask questions about the ones he had trouble with.  If he still had questions he could come to my office hours to settle them.  This way he would build up his knowledge and confidence.  Most importantly, he would learn where he was going wrong and how to fix it.  However, he continued as before to study only just before a test, and did not ask questions in class or come to my office hours.  His lack of preparation limited the amount he could learn in class so that he had even more to cover when he studied for tests.  His performance on tests did not change.  He did not pass the course and had to repeat it.

Case 2

Another student was having just as much trouble at first.  He started to do the homework assignments after each class and to ask questions about the problems he could not solve, both in class and in my office hours.  He not only learned material he did not know, he learned which material he did know.  If he tried to solve a problem, but got stuck, he asked about it.  Instead of asking, "how do you solve this problem" he would say, "I tried this, but got stuck" and asked what to do next.  If I gave a different solution in class to the one he found, he would ask about whether his method was correct.  He got more out of the classes because he was prepared to build on what he had been learning.  When he prepared for a test, he knew which topics to work on, and which he had already mastered.  He could concentrate on the areas where he was unsure.  Writing the test, he first solved the questions that he was confident with. He was confident because he had tried similar problems already and had found the solution.  When he tried the others, his studying paid off because it was exactly these kinds of problems that he had worked on most when preparing.  He checked his answers to make sure they were correct, which brought him more confidence with each problem solved.  His tests scores steadily improved and he passed the course.

                                                   Appendix E