{"id":6807,"date":"2026-02-20T11:51:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T16:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/mathequityforum\/?p=6807"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:21:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T17:21:05","slug":"emotions-in-math-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/mathequityforum\/emotions-in-math-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Emotions in Math Class: How Student Reflection Can Build Awareness and Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Marta Garcia and Megan Murray<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 30, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n

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A response from a 3rd<\/sup> Grader, Neesha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In a previous blog<\/a>, we wrote about how our work with a group of educators resulted in a tool <\/a>that encouraged students to reflect on their math experiences in ways that helped teachers create more equitable learning communities. In the course of field testing and improving the tool, teachers shared stories that captured the impact of consistently asking students about their experiences as math learners and reflecting on what they learned. They found that setting aside time for students to reflect contributed to a classroom culture built on trust, honest feedback, and open communication. That led us to think about how student reflection might support students and teachers in recognizing and working through emotions that might interfere with learning in math class.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Emotions Impact Students\u2019 Experiences in Math<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third grader Neesha, who shared her experience in an exit ticket, expressed how hard she was trying to learn and that \u201cit was hard.\u201d Articulating her feelings provided a chance to identify emotions impacting her learning and also offered the teacher an opportunity to better understand Neesha\u2019s experience. There is a growing body of research on how the brain works that can impact the decisions we make as teachers. (Safir, 2017; Hammond, 2014; Lambert, 2024). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers describe three important areas of the brain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n