How Understanding Your Brain Can Help You Learn
This student needs help with math. Her fear of failing is holding her back. She needs to overcome this fear and learn how to do well in math.
You’re not alone. Someone told you that you were never going to make it in this field. Or maybe you had a bad experience in school and you felt discouraged about your future.
People who are gifted are those who have an innate ability to learn things easily and quickly. People who are not gifted are those who need more time and effort to learn something.
The problem with talent
Millions of children, every year start school excited about what to learn, but soon become disillusioned when they realize they aren’t as smart as others. Parents and teachers inadvertently give out this message.
Young adults enter Boaler’s class anxious about math because they believe their brains are fixed and they won’t be able to learn anything new. This belief prevents them from trying to learn math. As a result, they struggle in school and fail out.
People who are born into certain races or genders have an advantage over others because of their birth. This leads to racial and gender gaps in education and employment.