Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
When students begin to see themselves as math thinkers, they engage actively, explore creatively, and feel more motivated.
Math is often thought of as the school subject most divorced from student emotions. But as educator Liesl McConchie has found over 25 years of teaching and studying how the brain learns, a student’s ability to learn math is deeply influenced by their emotional relationship to it. Does math conjure up feelings of dread, frustration, and anxiety? Or does walking into the math classroom trigger feelings like curiosity, excitement, and confidence? Liesl calls this relationship a learner’s “math identity.” And fortunately, there are a number of strategies teachers can use to build healthy versions of those math identities—and improve students’ cognitive relationship with math.
For more teaching strategies, visit: edutopia.org/topic/math
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#maths #studentengagement #teachingstrategies #brainbasedlearning
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
When students begin to see themselves as math thinkers, they engage actively, explore creatively, and feel more motivated.
Math is often thought of as the school subject most divorced from student emotions. But as educator Liesl McConchie has found over 25 years of teaching and studying how the brain learns, a student’s ability to learn math is deeply influenced by their emotional relationship to it. Does math conjure up feelings of dread, frustration, and anxiety? Or does walking into the math classroom trigger feelings like curiosity, excitement, and confidence? Liesl calls this relationship a learner’s “math identity.” And fortunately, there are a number of strategies teachers can use to build healthy versions of those math identities—and improve students’ cognitive relationship with math.
For more teaching strategies, visit: edutopia.org/topic/math
Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: edut.to/3wEVHUh
*Follow us here:*
Official Website: https://edutopia.org
YouTube: youtube.com/c/edutopia
Facebook: facebook.com/edutopia
Instagram: instagram.com/edutopia
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/edutopia.org
#maths #studentengagement #teachingstrategies #brainbasedlearning
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
