Support emotional regulation

For many students the uncomfortable emotions such as frustration, confusion and fear associated with maths learning may outweigh pleasant feelings of joy, discovery and satisfaction. These students may avoid maths to avoid those uncomfortable emotions. One way to support students to overcome these emotions is to support them to develop a sense of efficacy in maths and positive maths identities, but this needs to be partnered with techniques that enable them to calm their anxieties.

Read more about evidence-based strategies for emotions on the NSW Government Education website. 

Key ideas to promote:

> Uncomfortable emotions can come with learning maths

> It’s okay to feel a range of emotions when learning maths

> Emotions aren’t permanent - these feelings will pass

> Some people feel very anxious about learning maths, but this can change

 

Reflect

  • What’s your maths identity and what has shaped it? Think about pivotal moments in your past that have supported or challenged your own positive maths identity.
  • Have you experienced uncomfortable emotions in Mathematics? How did that feel?
  • Have you observed particular students who are triggered by the anticipation of maths learning or involvement in maths learning? What symptoms do you observe?
  • How would you help a student with maths anxiety?

Try this

In your classroom

  • Learn more about supporting self-regulation in the classroom with this free professional learning course from the Student Wellbeing Hub
  • Before beginning a lesson, give an example emotion that students might experience (positive or negative) and explore how that emotion feels, and what to do if we feel that way
  • Use Brain break bops to help early years students to tap into signals from their bodies and to understand them as emotions and/or feelings is called interoception or ‘mindful body awareness’
  • Use emotion cards to help younger students identify and talk about how they are feeling 
  • Share texts that address mathematics anxiety and explore the key experiences of characters
  • Support students to express their emotions through journaling and expressive writing

In your school

  • Hold parent and carer workshops to engage families in supporting their children’s emotions
  • Topics could include how to support students with maths anxiety, or how to develop emotion regulation skills at home
  • In the school newsletter, share an article on maths anxiety and how families can support students, such as this article
  • Find out more about mathematics anxiety on Victorian Academy