Moving from Memory to Mindfulness in Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Intermountain MAA Section Speaker Program

Amy (“Timmy”) Henderson, LCSW

Psychotherapist,

Inner Journey Counseling

Rachel Bachman

Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, WSU

rachelbachman1@weber.edu

Moving from Memory to Mindfulness in Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Intermountain MAA Section Speaker Program

Please turn and keep your cameras on

Text RACHELBACHMA858 to 22333 to join, and then text what you notice

Text RACHELBACHMA858 to 22333 to join, and then text what you notice

Understanding Distress

Window of Tolerance

Body: Sensations are normal, body regulated

Mind: Access to intuition, reason, insight, awareness, problem solving, focus (upstairs brain)

Emotions: Experience a full range of emotions including calm and relaxed

LEARNING TAKES PLACE HERE

​

Hyper-arousal (flight or fight)

Body: Accelerated heart rate and blood pressure, blood flow to large muscles, sensations heightened

Mind: Thinking is rigid or chaotic, racing thoughts, poor judgment, intrusive thoughts (downstairs brain)

Emotions: Anxiety, dread, fear, anger

LEARNING DOES NOT TAKE PLACE HERE

​

Hypo-arousal (freeze)

Body: Decreased heart rate/blood pressure/blood flow to large muscles, sensations heightened, numbness, disabled defensive response

Mind: Slow disabled thinking, dissociation

Emotions: Emotional numbness, sadness, depression, hopelessness, helplessness

LEARNING DOES NOT TAKE PLACE HERE

​

Fight/Flight

Freeze

Shift mathematics from memory to mindful thought

​

Limbic system which controls our survival instinct and emotional response

Stores memory

Active thought, logic, reasoning, problem solving

How has my practice changed because of knowing this?

• Play soothing music before each of my classes (ALWAYS before exams)
• Begin with warm up
• Physical (let’s try one → Stand Up/Sit Down)
• Mindfulness Observe
• Mindfulness Describe
• Leave off the question prompts
• Preparing to forget discussions

Mindfulness Observe

• “Just Notice”
• 5 senses (see, hear, taste, touch, smell)
• Thoughts/Feelings
• Body Sensations
• Wordless watching
• Taking it in

Mindfulness Describe

• Put words to your experience
• Stick to the facts (who, what, when, where)
• Labeling things internally & externally

What do you know?

What could you figure out?

A rectangular room is 16 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 8 feet high. What is the total wall area of the room?

30 = 15 + 6 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 1

16(12)(8) = 1536

idk

16(12) = 192

12(8) = 96

½(8)(16 + 12)

2(16x8) + 2(12x8)

A rectangular room is 16 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 8 feet high.

2(16x8) + 2(12x8)

What do you know?

What could you figure out about the room?

Leave off the question

• Remove the question you typically ask
• Start by asking students to simply observe
• Ask the students to describe what they notice
• Ask the students what they could figure out about the context

Once upon a time, I asked students to memorize the unit fraction to decimal conversions.

But then I saw things like this...

Shift mathematics from memory to mindful thought

​

Limbic system which controls our survival instinct and emotional response

Stores memory

Active thought, logic, reasoning, problem solving

Great, we learned these!

What can we do when we forget these?

0.5

0.33..

0.25

0.1

The population of a country is initially 2 million people and is increasing at 4% per year. Find the population size at the end of 15 years. Show your work.

These equations are all wrong, but common. Let’s come up with some tips to help us avoid these mistakes.

1. y = 1ᐧ(1.04)¹⁵
2. y = 2,000,000ᐧ(4)¹⁵
3. y = 2,000,000ᐧ(0.04)¹⁵
4. y = 2,000,000ᐧ(1.4)¹⁵

Preparing to forget

• Especially after formalizing a topic, when students might be tempted to memorize…
• “What can we do when we forget?” conversation
• Push students to think of and share their own strategies
• Emphasize strategies that return to active sense making (i.e., avoid mnemonic devices)

Here’s a script to help when you use this strategy

Questions? Comments?

Rachel Bachman

Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, Weber State University

rachelbachman1@weber.edu