Date
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time
1:15 PM - 2:05 PM
Location Name
BL 16
Name
Nobody Is Bad at Math: Rebuilding Math Identity Through Purposeful Practice
Description

Ask a group of ninth graders who is bad at math and hands go up immediately. Ask which specific skill they are missing and nobody can answer, because when a student struggles for years without anyone naming the gap, the only conclusion available is that the problem is them. A skill gap nobody can name becomes an identity, and identities are far harder to change than skills. This working session covers what actually rebuilds math confidence in older students: why purposeful practice succeeds where general review fails, what makes a practice target feel finishable rather than endless, and how self-directed practice changes a student’s relationship with being stuck. Presented by Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization; you will leave with routines you can run next week, not a product demonstration.

Session Type
Vendor-Sponsored Session
Track
Instructional Practice & Coaching
Primary Audience
Middle/High School
Secondary Audience
General Educators
Fall Conference Strands
Educate
MA DLCS Strands
Digital Tools and Collaboration