Last month’s seminar entitled “The End of Math Anxiety & Ensuring Math Success” taught NIC students better coping mechanisms with difficulties they face in math classes.
NIC math instructor John Klassen said, “A little anxiety is good; it gets us going.” But he warned that we must embrace anxiety and turn it into something positive. “If you treat it that way, you’ll see things look different.”
His checklist for math success began with a simple formula designed for getting a positive grade. First, calculate the average score needed on remaining tests to achieve the desired grade. Second, subtract the total points to date. Third, subtract the total points of remaining assignments, excluding tests. Fourth, divide by the number of tests remaining.
Klassen, who has taught at NIC for 17 years, admitted his first year of college was a “disaster.” He said he failed everything, and out of “sheer panic” did whatever it took to pass courses.
“The more organized, the smoother it goes,” he said. Topsy-turvy is not good, he warned. Become more, not less, organized. Klassen summed up some skills used in six easy steps.
“Don’t let yourself down until you’re finished; you will be surprised. I could not believe how much five minutes saves,” he said.
“Don’t ever think you can’t do it; you are a genius just as much as anyone else,” he said. Your whole attitude changes once you realize you’re responsible for your learning. Listening is a skill that can be improved, he said. If you don’t have any questions, you’re probably too busy taking notes.
“We want you to pass sometimes more than you do,” Klassen said.
Connie Urban, 44, social worker for hospice, Torrance, CA, asked for recommendations for teachers that stray from the book. Klassen advised asking for a list of steps and paying special attention to how problems are solved.
NIC psychology instructor and wife of John Klassen, Kristina Klassen, was on hand to give some tips to struggling students. Practice testing, she said. It’s a skill and can only happen if you practice.
