I feel very strongly about having representation of women in math. I think it is truly tragic that many young women are discouraged from pursuing Math or other STEM fields because they believe that math isn't for them, or as Vanessa said in the video, "they aren't the type of person that is good at math." I think that having role models for young women in the mathematics can make a huge difference.
For the past 5 weeks or so I've been tutoring a girl in Math 10. When I took her on as a student, her parents told me that she used to excel at math, but had lost her confidence, and had started to think that "math wasn't for her". In my sessions with her, I've been making sure to exude excitement about math, and ensure her that her struggles with math are not because she's bad at math, but because of various external factors that can be overcome. In the 5 weeks since I've started tutoring her, I've noticed a huge improvement. She's gone from getting 25-50% on quizzes to getting 70-90%! It's a much larger improvement than I could have taught her in 5 hours of tutoring - it has to be a shift in attitude and confidence, from seeing someone similar to her who loves and excels at math.
Whether the role models are in the media, or are present in the classroom, I think they can make an immense difference in young girls' success in math.
For the past 5 weeks or so I've been tutoring a girl in Math 10. When I took her on as a student, her parents told me that she used to excel at math, but had lost her confidence, and had started to think that "math wasn't for her". In my sessions with her, I've been making sure to exude excitement about math, and ensure her that her struggles with math are not because she's bad at math, but because of various external factors that can be overcome. In the 5 weeks since I've started tutoring her, I've noticed a huge improvement. She's gone from getting 25-50% on quizzes to getting 70-90%! It's a much larger improvement than I could have taught her in 5 hours of tutoring - it has to be a shift in attitude and confidence, from seeing someone similar to her who loves and excels at math.
Whether the role models are in the media, or are present in the classroom, I think they can make an immense difference in young girls' success in math.
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