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Cultivating Grit in Underserved Math Students
India White • December 19, 2023
8 Tips for Cultivating Grit in Underserved Math Students
8 Tips for Cultivating Grit in Underserved Students in the Math Classroom!
Cultivating grit in underserved students in the math classroom is crucial for their long-term success. Grit, defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, can help students overcome challenges and setbacks, leading to improved academic outcomes. Through my acronym of G.R.I.T., Great Resilience in Time, students can be reminded that there are goals worth striving for as they learn in the math classroom. Teachers have the power to help cultivate grit in students who battle various challenges including math anxiety, fear of failure, learning gaps and more.
Here are 8 tips to cultivate grit in underserved students in the math classroom:
1. Set high expectations:
Teachers must be intentional in communicating high expectations for all students, regardless of their background or previous academic performance. Let them know that you believe in their ability to succeed in math and that hard work and effort are essential. Further, when establishing high expectations, teachers must make sure that all students are clear on the desired expectations and that each expectation established is reasonable and fair for all learners. Dr. John Hattie talks about providing Teacher Clarity as a tool teachers can use
to help learners succeed in the classroom. In addition, NCTM elaborates on setting high expectations in their position paper titled “High Expectations in the Mathematics Classroom”, mentioning that when teachers set high expectations, “Thoughtful and purposeful planning is key (e.g., anticipating misconceptions, considering different strategies, generating questions that students might ask) in supporting student perseverance….” Hence, teachers must be mindful of how they communicate their expectations for behavior and learning in the classroom with all students.
2.Teaching a Growth Mindset: Teachers can help their students develop a growth mindset by emphasizing that intelligence and math skills can be developed through effort and practice. When students are facing productive struggle during instructional delivery, they might feel like giving up as they grapple for the answers. Teachers must be on the prowl to see who they can scaffold during these tough mental moments for their students and reassure their students that they are there to support them as they are thinking about their thinking while striving towards proficiency. Researchers talk about how Growth Mindset should be viewed as an Academic Mindset, mentioning that of 4 parts of their academic mindset, one key mindset for students to embrace is that “ My ability and my competency grow with my effort”, helping students to conclude that growth is always a part of their learning experience. Teachers are advocates for learners and help build confidence of their students in crucial moments of productive struggle. Teachers have the power to build the confidence of their students as they encourage them to view mistakes and challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.
3. Provide a supportive classroom environment:
Create a safe and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. Encourage collaboration and peer support, as this can help students develop resilience and perseverance. Sometimes, the best thing teachers can do for students is provide moments for collaboration, whether that’s through establishing cooperative learning opportunities, i.e. Kagan, Marzano structures, digital learning moments via Kahoot, Blicket, or through Project Based Learning Opportunities.
4. Break down complex problems: Math can be intimidating for many students, especially those from underserved backgrounds. Hence, it’s not enough for teachers to ask, “Any questions?” and move on in the lesson after a 5 second moment of silence. Teachers must be intentional on breaking down complex math problems into smaller, manageable steps for students. Further, they must use various equitable practices, and be consider of English Language students who might need more visuals, thesaurus, and chances to collaborate with peers for clarity on the topic. Further, teachers must be aware of the fact that they might have to explain various tasks and questions that might not be culturally relevant for diverse learners. Sometimes, a lack of relevance can impact how a student interprets math, causing gaps in comprehension.
As teachers choose to use equitable math practice to ensure that all students understand the concepts being taught AND they have the tools they need to grow in proficiency and excel academically, this will help students build confidence in their math identity and develop problem-solving skills gradually.
5. Celebrate effort and progress: Recognize and celebrate students' efforts and progress, rather than solely focusing on the final outcome. It’s imperative that students be scaffolded through productive struggle with positive feedback and specific praise, i.e. “I like how you factored on problem #4” or “I liked how you elaborated on how you understood the problem in your short answer on problem # 6”. When teachers are intentional in providing specific praise and feedback to students, this encourages them to reflect on their growth and highlight the progress they have made, even if they haven't yet reached their desired goals. Sometimes, the only praise students are receiving is when they are on campus, in their teacher’s classroom. Teachers can even invite other educators and administrators along to celebrate progress of all students throughout the year via principal visits, learning walks in the hallway and more.
6. Provide targeted support during productive struggle: Teachers should take the opportunity during instructional delivery and reflection to identify specific areas where students may be struggling and provide targeted support. In addition, they should be proactive in offering additional resources for practice, and more access to the math outside of the classroom including extra tutoring, practice materials, and math nights in the community and other resources that assist in helping all students build their math skills and confidence. Teachers should communicate frequently with parents and guardians notifying them of updates and opportunities for students to have access to more practice, i.e. math boot camps, after school tutoring programs, and more.
7. Foster a sense of purpose: Teachers can help foster a sense of purpose in the math classroom as they help students connect their math learning to real-world applications and their personal goals. Teachers can show relevance of math by helping to connect it to tangible passions of their students. When students ask, “When am I ever going to use this?” teachers should be able to explain various concepts and convince students on how they are connected to the real world, (i.e., quadratic functions can be used in engineering, and etc.)
Show them how math skills can be valuable in various careers and everyday life, and reassure them that the possess the skills needed to be successful in particular real world STEM careers. This sense of purpose can motivate students to persist through challenges.
8. Build healthy relationships with each student:
Teachers must choose to build relationships with all learners in efforts to break down walls of mistrust, uncertainty, and anxiety that students cling to in a math classroom. As teachers build relationships by getting to know their students
and honoring various cultural differences, it will establish a sense of belonging and a desire to please their teacher from every student. When educators develop positive relationships with their students, showing genuine care and interest in their success. Hence, building trust and rapport can motivate students to persevere through challenges and seek support when needed in the math classroom as they cultivate the grit of every learner.
Conclusion
By implementing these strategies, educators can help cultivate grit in underserved students in the math classroom, empowering them to overcome obstacles and achieve long-term success in their math education and beyond Teachers hold the power as a change agent to motivate students out of the rut of apathy by cultivating their grit during instruction. By choosing to implement these tips, teachers are being intentional about effectively shaping the trajectory of success for their students every day.
Need Resources? Click here for GRIT WORKBOOKS for Teachers and Students!
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