Hi. For most of my life, I thought mathematical
ability was something that a person either had
or did not have. Some people were, quote, math
people. They understood it quickly. They could
remember the right formulas, and they could produce
correct answers. Everyone else stood at a distance,
looking into a world that they were not equipped
to enter. This, my friend, is a fixed mindset.
The belief that our abilities are largely permanent.
If I struggle with something, the struggle reveals
who I am and what I will always be able or unable
to do. Learning mathematics has gradually changed
that belief. Mathematician and teacher Joel Bowler
writes about the importance of approaching mathematics
with a growth mindset. Mathematical ability is
not a fixed gift granted to a fortunate few.
It can develop as we explore ideas, make connections,
try different approaches, and learn from our
mistakes. Now, this does not mean that everyone
has the same background or learns at the same
pace or finds the same things easy. A growth
mindset is not a promise that every problem will
yield if I simply try harder. It is a refusal
to treat my current understanding as the final
measure of my capacity. And that distinction
has changed me. When mathematics is treated as
a performance, every question becomes a test
of identity. A correct answer proves that I belong.
A mistake suggests I do not. Speed becomes confused
with intelligence. And struggle feels like evidence
of failure. But when mathematics is treated as
learning, a mistake becomes information. It can
reveal an assumption I did not know I was making.
A difficult problem. problem can expose the boundary
of my current understanding and show me where
growth might begin. Okay, sure, I still prefer
the satisfaction of getting the answer correct.
And I still become frustrated when understanding
does not arrive quickly. But mathematics keeps
reminding me that confusion is not a verdict.
Often it is simply the place where I am standing
before I see something new. The small word yet
creates room for change. I do not understand
this yet. I cannot see the connection yet. I
have not found an approach that works yet. This
way of thinking has reached beyond mathematics.
I am less willing to define myself by what I
can do today. I want to remain teachable. I want
to be willing to revise my thinking and be patient
enough to let understanding develop. Mathematics
has not taught me that everything is easy. It
has taught me something more hopeful, that difficulty
does not get the final word. My mind is not a
finished object. It is still learning, still
making connections, and still capable of change.