Managing the Mean Math Blues

Description

Ooten Back Cover Copy

 

With over 50 combined years teaching basic math through calculus as well as consulting with math anxious students, Cheryl Ooten and Kathy Moore offer a wealth of creative ideas for all math students to overcome negative perceptions about math and develop the needed math study skills for success.

 

Managing the Mean Math Blues teaches students how to develop their own power to produce the desired proficiency in math. Students turn failure into success as they uncover secrets of successful math students and practice these new techniques with universal basic math concepts.

 

The second edition offers:

–Stronger and more math study skills content

–Added chapter to practice new skills on algebra

–Increased focus on the powerful “flow with math” technique

–The best strategies for overcoming math anxiety

–Teacher Resource Booklet

 

Watch students flourish as they put these cutting-edge techniques into practice and achieve a new level of confidence in the math abilities in the classroom.”

 

 “It’s a great book!  I hope math. faculty will take advantage of having a book available that combines the cognitive and affective combined approaches to teaching math.”   

Joan Totten          Ferris State University    

 

“This is the book that I wish I had 35 years ago when I first started teaching math.  The book neatly packages ideas, strategies, and tools in a way that readers understand, accept, and apply to learning math and any other challenging topic….Managing the Mean Math Blues, 2e is first book to clearly incorporate psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy, neuroplascity, visualization, relaxation, study skills, into a book that addresses and offers tools and strategies to overcome math anxiety.”

Justine Wong

 

“The content is sound, the tone of the book is very supportive, and there is just enough content but not too much.” 

 

Nancy D. Eschen          Florida Community College at Jacksonville

 

 

Start strong. Finish stronger.

 

www.MyStudentSuccessLab.com

 

“Master Math’s Mysteries”–Unique activities and mental math tricks (not usually used in the classroom!) at the end of every chapter to learn basic math such as patterns, fractions, problem solving, and test preparation.    

• Students relearn or review and then practice basic math concepts needed at all levels of math, perhaps understanding them for the first time.

Step-by-step, cognitive behavioral techniques — Combines author’s thirty years of experience with the most effective techniques from math anxiety and psychotherapeutic literature.

• Empowers students to actively combat negativity with math by identifying and re-framing thought distortions and removing barriers.

Conversational writing style–Presents the voices of the author, math students, and non-math professionals.   

• Reassures students that they are not alone and thereby giving them hope and motivation to keep reading.

Progressive format–Features a tone and layout that slowly moves from inspiring stories, understanding the need to take charge, and assessing strengths–to learning basic math skills. 

• Draws students into the process with non-threatening, permission-giving activities that build their confidence and skill levels.

Chapter-opening drawings andsketches throughout the text.

• Provides students with illustrations that illuminate the “can do” message of the author.

NEW! Chapter on FLOW — To improve concentration and focus (called flow), students learn how to match their skills with math challenges, set short-term achievable goals and seek feedback in order to learn math successfully.   

• Provides students with achievable steps to success at each stage of the semester and class-time.

NEW! Increased focus ‘reframing’ technique — Learning to reframe negative thoughts and gain a different perspective of what is true and possible – presented in the introductionand throughout the book

• Gives students more options and skills to overcome the barrier of negative-thought.

NEW! Stories and insights from seven real math students who overcame their own doubts and failures to become successful.  Students are also quoted throughout the book.

• Inspires and encourages students to see how others have employed strategies to triumph over similar struggles.

NEW! Focus on study skills — Presented earlier in the text and added many activities to practice in class like note taking techniques.  Chapters incorporate achievable activities for time management at crucial times in the semester and ways to use their learning style

• Empowers students to choose and practice all the behaviors that aide in learning math.

NEW!  “Act for Success” directive activities teach students to apply chapter content and choose behaviors that will cause success

• Helps student synthesize the chapter material and then actively use it to study and learn math

NEW! Optional  “Consider Algebra” chapter illustrates the five basic algebra procedures giving students the opportunity to use their new skills and try their hand at algebra and de-mystify the process.

• Allows math-phobic students to gain confidence and move on to their next course with less fear

NEW! Teacher resource booklet useful group and individual classroom activities, how to teach reframing technique, ideas on how to use the chapter material

• Makes working with math-hesitant students into a joy.

PearsonChoices – CourseSmart and Custom Publishing.  Having choices for how to deliver course content is important.

• CourseSmart Textbooks Online is an exciting new choice for students looking to save money. As an alternative to purchasing the print textbook, students can subscribe to the same content online and save up to 50% off the suggested list price of the print text. With a CourseSmart e-textbook, students can search the text, make notes online, print out reading assignments that incorporate lecture notes, and bookmark important passages for later review. For more information, or to subscribe, visit www.coursesmart.com.  
• Pearson Custom Publishing allows professors to create their own professionally produced customized textbooks and media products to best complement their course. We offer high-quality content, professional design, quick production, and reliable on-time delivery. The result is a valuable textbook that students will use, cover to cover, tailored to meet exactly the needs of the professor, students, and course.  Visit www.pearsoncustom.com.

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1–Begin with Facts

Student Success Stories

Student Success Story: Alex Solano

Chapter 2–Flow with Math

Student Success Story: Isabella Vescey

Chapter 3–Learn How You Learn

Student Success Story: Enrique De Leon

Chapter 4–Time Yourself Successfully

Student Success Story: Sarah Kershaw

Chapter 5–Bridge Gaps with Study Skills

Student Success Story: The Tortoise and the Hares

Chapter 6–Use All Your Resources

Student Success Story: Jazmin Hurtado

Chapter 7–Take Charge of Testing

Student Success Story: Carlos Ordiano

Chapter 8–Make Strong Math Memories

Student Success Story: Joel Sheldon

Chapter 9–Solve Problems Systematically

Advice for Struggling Math Students

Chapter 10–Manage Math Anxiety

Poem by Victoria Stephenson

Chapter 11–Neutralize Negative Math Thoughts & Behaviors

Chapter 12–(Optional) Consider Algebra

Appendix

Problem Solving Index

Index

Is it possible for math-phobic students to learn math? Yes! Not only can they learn math, they can excel by learning the truly unique techniques in Managing the Mean Math Blues. Written by an experienced math teacher and psychotherapist, this book helps students overcome their negative perceptions about math using positive psychology, brain-based learning, and study skills techniques. Students turn failure into success as they practice these new skills on basic math content. With clear psychological models for concentration and focus (called flow) into math, students learn how to match their skills with math challenges, set short-term goals and seek feedback in order to learn math successfully.

“A supplemental book” for courses in Study Skills.

 

This book incorporates user-friendly study skills practice, math practice, brain-based learning, and positive psychology so the reluctant and anxious student can overcome math anxiety. Students turn failure into success as they practice these new skills on basic math content.  With clear psychological models for concentration and focus (called flow) into math, students learn how to match their skills with math challenges, set short-term goals and seek feedback in order to learn math successfully.

Cheryl Ooten, Mathematics Professor Emeritus, Santa Ana College, has taught all levels of mathematics from basic math through calculus counseling math anxious students for over 30 years. A licensed psychotherapist, Cheryl is currently a Ph.D. student at Claremont Graduate University pursuing her continuing interest in student success and math education.

Kathy Moore,

Mathematics Professor, Santiago Canyon College, enjoys sharing her love of mathematics with the math anxious student. Outside of teaching people mathematics, she trains and shows her five dogs in obedience competitions around the country. Kathy lives in Norco, California with her husband and the canine pack.