Girls' Math Classes Include Lessons in Anxiety
source: http://womensenews.org/story/women-in-science/100604/girls-math-classes-include-lessons-in-a...
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Globally, girls are no worse than boys at mathematics. But stereotypes, some coming from teachers themselves, keep alive the myth that women and numbers don't mix.
For some women, anxiety about math is taught in the classroom.
"Having a highly math-anxious female teacher may push girls to confirm the stereotype that they're not as good as boys in math," said Sian Beilock, an expert on anxiety and stress related to learning and performance. Beilock teaches psychology at the University of Chicago.
Actress and mathematician Danica McKellar (who's appeared in the TV shows "The West Wing," "The Wonder Years" and "The Big Bang Theory") is working to undo that unintentional lesson.
In two recent best-sellers, McKellar has pushed self-confidence and intriguing math study tips for middle school girls. In her first book, "Math Doesn't Suck," McKellar says math "makes you feel smart when you walk into a room, prepares you for better-paying jobs and helps you think more logically."
And, she writes, you don't have to be a geek to be good at it: "I'm here to tell you from personal experience that you can be a glamour girl and a smart young woman who can certainly do math."
McKellar has a mathematics degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her third math book, "Hot X: Algebra Exposed," is due out in August.
Get the full report at Women's eNews - http://womensenews.org/story/women-in-science/100604/girls-math-classes-include-...
For some women, anxiety about math is taught in the classroom.
"Having a highly math-anxious female teacher may push girls to confirm the stereotype that they're not as good as boys in math," said Sian Beilock, an expert on anxiety and stress related to learning and performance. Beilock teaches psychology at the University of Chicago.
Actress and mathematician Danica McKellar (who's appeared in the TV shows "The West Wing," "The Wonder Years" and "The Big Bang Theory") is working to undo that unintentional lesson.
In two recent best-sellers, McKellar has pushed self-confidence and intriguing math study tips for middle school girls. In her first book, "Math Doesn't Suck," McKellar says math "makes you feel smart when you walk into a room, prepares you for better-paying jobs and helps you think more logically."
And, she writes, you don't have to be a geek to be good at it: "I'm here to tell you from personal experience that you can be a glamour girl and a smart young woman who can certainly do math."
McKellar has a mathematics degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her third math book, "Hot X: Algebra Exposed," is due out in August.
Get the full report at Women's eNews - http://womensenews.org/story/women-in-science/100604/girls-math-classes-include-...
