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5 Tips for Helping Students Stay Motivated through G.R.I.T. in the Math Classroom
India White • September 6, 2023
5 Tips for Helping Students Stay Motivated through G.R.I.T.!
5 Tips for Helping Students Remain Motivated Through Grit in the Math Classroom
Motivating students to persevere and remain engaged in the math classroom can be a challenging task for teachers. With added pressures from the pandemic slide, social medial influencers, and extracurricular activities, math can seem like the last area of interest in students across the nation. However, by fostering a growth mindset and encouraging grit, educators can empower their students to overcome obstacles and achieve success. Allow me to explore with you five effective tips that can help teachers inspire and support their students in developing grit in the math classroom.
Tip 1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations
Establishing clear goals and expectations is crucial for motivating students. Clearly communicate the learning objectives and outcomes for each math lesson, ensuring that students understand what is expected of them. Further, teacher should make sure that each goal established is realistic and can be met in a reasonable amount of time. Further, whenever goals are achieved, students should have a clear understanding behind how their teacher measured their proficiency, i.e. rubric, grading system,
in a way that allows them to grasp fairness and not subjectivity that could be detrimental to their academic success. Ed Week discussed how “parents, teachers, and school administrators concerned about providing equitable opportunities for every child are frequently stunned to learn that many common grading practices are outdated, inaccurate, and harmful to student success.”
Hence, by setting achievable goals, and using fair grading practices and policies, students can experience a sense of accomplishment and increase their trust in their teacher’s belief in them, which will boost their motivation to tackle more challenging math problems.
Tip 2. Emphasize the Significance of Effort
Sometimes, students need guidance on cultivating grit and building up intellectual effort during productive struggle. They need their teachers to teach students that effort is key to success in math.
Encourage them to embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for growth. By highlighting the value of hard work and perseverance, students will develop a growth mindset, understanding that their abilities can be improved through dedication and practice. Help students to get “Gritty” with it, and to thrive when they are ready to give up! Remind students of the acronym for G.R.I.T., Great Resilience in Time, and how they have what it takes to be successful in being a proficient math student. As you do this over time, you will notice that your students will grow in their math identity, and will trust you more during vulnerable moments.
Tip 3. Provide Opportunities for Collaboration
Giving students the opportunity to learn collaboratively with their peers can be a powerful tool for motivating students in the math classroom. Teachers aiming to support students during metacognitive flow and productive struggle
should encourage students to work together on problem-solving activities, allowing them to share ideas, discuss strategies, and learn from one another. As students allow students to work with peers, this will strengthen their conceptual understanding while learning math. Further, it will enhance the learning environment for all students, and will turn math class into a fun experience. Collaboration fosters a supportive environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and persisting through difficult math problems. In addition, it will move mathematical discussion from being solely teacher led to student led, empowering student voice and leadership in the math classroom.
Tip 4. Offer Differentiated Instruction
Teachers must be willing to recognize that students have diverse learning needs and abilities. Further, students from various backgrounds will bring different lived experiences into the classroom, creating a need for differentiation. When teachers differentiate instruction, they provide a variety of math tasks and activities that cater to different skill levels. This approach ensures that all students are appropriately challenged, preventing boredom or frustration. By tailoring instruction to individual needs, students will feel supported and motivated to continue their math journey. As students are empowered during differentiated instruction, it will open the door for higher order thinking and metacognition to flow in the learning environment. This will lead to learners having a stimulated interest in considering real-world situations when trying to grasp concepts in the math classroom. Further, it will increase student engagement, and academic learners of students in the math classroom. Through differentiation, academic achievement and increased self-efficacy are inevitable for all students.
Tip 5. Celebrate Progress and Achievements
As teachers learn to celebrate students, it boosts the self-esteem and willingness to try for all students in the math classroom. Teachers should take time to be intentional when expressing accomplishments of their students and celebrate students' progress and achievements in math. Whether it’s during mathematical discourse, a group activity or project, educators should regularly provide positive feedback, recognizing their students’ efforts and growth. Further, teachers should choose to celebrate small victories,
such as mastering a new concept or solving a challenging problem. When celebrating accomplishments, teachers should aim to provide specific feedback, use appropriate names of learners and explain to the class why they are choosing to celebrate each student individually or for group efforts. By highlighting their accomplishments, students will feel valued and motivated to continue working hard in the math classroom.
Conclusion
When teachers motivate their students, it helps them to remain engaged and persevere in the math classroom is essential for their long-term success. By implementing these five tips of setting clear goals and expectations, emphasizing significance, providing opportunities for collaboration, offering differentiated instruction, and celebrating progress and achievements effort, teachers can foster a growth mindset and encourage grit among their students. By nurturing grit, teachers can empower their students to overcome challenges, develop a love for math, and achieve their full potential. Choose to help your students stay motivated through grit in your math classroom!!
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Join us on the Let's Get Gritty Podcast with Dr. India White. On this show, we will repeat a show from the Grit and Equity talks Podcast with Dr. India White, where we walk through the recently released NAEP data from the National Report Card and speak about moving the needle forward. Listen on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/india-white3 #grit #equity #naep #drindiawhite #nctm #ncsm #bwxme #math #teachers #students
🌟 Just wrapped up an incredible G.R.I.T. Training session with the amazing leaders from Imagine Schools! 💪✨ We took a deep dive into the G.R.I.T. framework, and I can't wait to see the results unfold! 🚀🙌 #drindiawhite #grit #imagineschools #tedx #nctm #ncsm #bwxme 🎉 (I don’t own music copyright
Check out my Feb. 2025 Newsletter!
Thankful for Partnership and Recognition: A Shoutout to Dr. Matthew Joseph and X-Factor EDU Network I am incredibly thankful to partner with Dr. Matthew Joseph and the amazing leadership of the X-Factor EDU Network! It is truly an honor to collaborate with such a visionary leader who is dedicated to amplifying voices in education and creating spaces for impactful conversations. This month, I was deeply grateful to be mentioned in Dr. Joseph’s newsletter during Black History Month. His recognition means so much, not just for me, but for the work we are all doing to inspire and empower educators and students alike. You can check out the newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drmxj_stongertogether-activity-7291502796753809408-0zX3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAmqD2wBkz8Qc7EA0bvwxWyMJH2HykCUA-Y But beyond the shoutout, I’m even more excited about the opportunities ahead—including the chance to have a podcast on Dr. Joseph’s platform! Partnering with X-Factor EDU Network opens doors to share insights, engage in meaningful discussions, and continue championing grit, resilience, and equity in education. Thank you, Dr. Matthew Joseph, for your support, encouragement, and belief in this mission. Looking forward to what’s to come! 🚀 #StrongerTogether #GRIT #XFactorEDU #BlackHistoryMonth #EducationalLeadership #Thankful
Fired Up for FDLA/FAMTE Keynote: Let’s Build Grit Together! I’m beyond excited to take the stage as the keynote speaker at the FDLA/FAMTE Conference tomorrow! 🎤🔥 We’ll be diving deep into the power of G.R.I.T.—Great Resilience in Time—and how it transforms both educators and students. This opportunity means so much, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported this journey. Grit isn’t just a concept; it’s a movement. It’s about growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management, and it’s what drives success in the classroom and beyond. Let’s empower educators and students across the nation to push past obstacles and embrace productive struggle. Who’s ready to get gritty? 💪🏾 #Grit #DrIndiaWhite #TEDx #FDLA #FAMTE #Education #GrowthMindset
Had an Amazing Time at the Imagine Summit! I had a fantastic time speaking at the Imagine Summit on G.R.I.T.! 🙌🏽 We engaged in powerful breakout sessions, had meaningful discussions about NAEP data, and explored strategies to build **growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management** in education. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought such great energy to the conversations! Let’s continue working together to bridge gaps and empower students through grit and perseverance. 💪🏽 #GRIT #ImagineSummit #Resilience #Education #GrowthMindset #EquityInEducation #drindiawhite
Building Grit in Teachers at the Imagine Leadership Summit I am beyond excited to be speaking at the Imagine Leadership Summit today, sharing insights on how we can build grit in teachers and empower them to foster resilience, self-efficacy, and growth in their students. 🌟 This summit is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with principals and education leaders who are committed to supporting and strengthening teachers. When we invest in teacher grit, we build stronger, more effective classrooms where students develop the perseverance to tackle challenges and achieve success. A huge thank you to the Imagine Summit leaders for this amazing opportunity! It’s an honor to be among such an outstanding lineup of speakers, including the incredible Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr. Join our sessions today and take GRIT with you—because when teachers grow in resilience, our students thrive! #GRIT #Teachers #Principals #DrIndiaWhite #NCTM #NCSM #ImagineSummit 😊
🌟 What an incredible time at the ICTM conference in Indiana! The lineup was amazing, and the energy was contagious! 🎉 Since I missed the snow back in Florida, I embraced it fully here and made my very first snow angel! ❄️ So grateful for the fun and gritty spirit of the ICTM rockstars! Huge thanks to Angela and every rockstar for this fantastic opportunity! 💙 #drindiawhite #grit #ictm25 #math #teachers #students #indiana #nctm #ncsm
✨ Today’s Grit training at Stockton Unified was absolutely amazing! We had a fantastic time connecting with friends and meeting some incredible rockstars in California. 🌟 I can’t wait to see how gritty Stockton becomes! Huge thanks to Andrew and the tribe for the opportunity to train your amazing leaders. Let’s all take grit with us as we move forward! 💪 #Grit #Leadership #StocktonUnified #drindiawhite #tedx #nctm #ncsm #nabse
🎊Super excited about this opportunity! Looking forward to connecting with these amazing leaders! 🥰🥳🎉 Please register below and let’s connect so we can bridge the achievement gap together! hashtag#drindiawhite hashtag#ncsm hashtag#grit hashtag#math hashtag#teachers