In the second part of our special Beyond My Years two-part math series, Ana is joined by Ian Brown, second-grade teacher at Mukilteo School District in Washington and author of the comic book I Hate Math, for a conversation focused on reducing math anxiety and creating positive math experiences. Ian shares his approach to helping students who genuinely dislike math, describing how he helps them get to a place where math success feels manageable and achievable. Together, Ian and Ana explore the power of honoring students' real feelings; creating classroom environments where mistakes don't carry shame; and using storytelling, humor, and metaphors to make abstract concepts concrete. Finally, Ana is joined by Classroom Insider Eric Cross to discuss making math feel safe, ways to give students both story and stage, and how the foundational work of differentiation and meeting students where they are is critical to the work of educators.

Show notes:

• Read I Hate Math by Ian Brown.
• Subscribe to Advice for the Math Classroom on Amplify’s YouTube channel: amplify.com/mathclassroomadvice .
• Subscribe to Advice for the Literacy Classroom on Amplify’s YouTube channel: amplify.com/literacyclassroomadvice.
• Follow us on Instagram.
• Subscribe to Beyond My Years.
• Connect with Ana Torres.
• Connect with Eric Cross.

Quotes: 

"You can't force someone to love something or to like something. But you can kind of talk them into not hating something." —Ian Brown

"I hate shaming children. I hate shaming anyone. I think shame is the most insidious thing in the world." —Ian Brown

"Math is just a description of the world around us. We live in the world, we can do it." —Ian Brown

"I don't attach any value to success or failure. I only attach value to hard work and kindness." —Ian Brown

"It's gonna be a grind. We're gonna be here for 180 some days. Well, let's have fun doing it." —Ian Brown

"You have to feel your feelings so you can think your thoughts." —Eric Cross

"The boring work is the real work." —Eric Cross

"You need both culture and rigor. If you have culture without rigor, then learning is hollow. If you have rigor without culture, that's what made students hate the subject." —Eric Cross