"I was never good in Math..." That seems to be the current American mantra. "I was never good in Math" spoken proudly. "I was never good in Math" said by elementary school teachers. "I was never good in Math" said by parents in front of their children. "I was never good in Math" said by TV humorists...                                                                                      

Are we as educators accepting this kind of failure rather than revamping our approach to teaching mathematics? If the United States is going to maintain our status as a world leader, we can no longer accept this standard of mediocrity.

Time and time again I've had students who have been labeled as not good in math excel once they were led to develop, understand and retain rules which they formerly confused. Despite the myth that either you "get math" or you "don't get math", I've always known that students who can get B's in other subjects can get B's in math.

Here are 3 strategies that I have used with success to turn my students around:

•  Do not present the same old thing in the same old way, innovate

• Guide students to recognize patterns and interrelationships in mathematical situations

• Refer to real life situations which they do not necessarily relate to Mathematics and then get them to recognize that they really already know  and use much of the material in the curriculum

Guiding Math Phobic and Math Avoiding students to overcome their lack of confidence and then observing them take on challenges that they had considered impossible is one of the most fulfilling and heroic experiences an educator can have. 

The most satisfying words you can hear from an adult student are "I was never good in Math until I took your course".