Math Therapy
Why telling someone they're a math person can backfire w/ Teresa Brown
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What if telling someone they're a math person is actually making things ... worse?! We say it to encourage people, but what if we're unintentionally dismissing what they've actually experienced in math class?
Math educator, curriculum specialist, and competitive powerlifter Teresa Brown joins Vanessa to challenge the way we talk about math identity. After experiencing a stroke that made her, a math teacher, literally start from scratch again with math, Teresa found herself relearning skills she'd spent years helping others understand.
They discuss:
- Why “you're a math person” can backfire (even with good intentions)
- What teachers gain by admitting “I don't know”
- How relearning math changed Teresa's relationship with the idea of "identity"
Teresa's inspiring story reminds us that struggling doesn't mean we aren't capable. And maybe we don't need everyone to LOVE math—we just need them to believe they can learn it.
Links mentioned:
- Teresa's LinkedIn post that inspired this conversation
- Math Fact Fluency by Jennifer Bay-Williams and Gina Kling
- Math Therapy: Why math sucks and how to fix it w/ Raj Shah
About Teresa: (LinkedIn)
Teresa Brown is a veteran math educator, curriculum specialist, and doctoral candidate in curriculum and instruction. A former classroom teacher who now supports K–12 educators through Intermediate Unit 1 in Pennsylvania, she's also a competitive powerlifter and strongman athlete. Her work focuses on teacher learning, instructional practice, and creating environments where taking risks and making mistakes are part of learning.
Contact us:
- Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email
- Math Therapy: Text the Podcast
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