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Math Anxiety?

Virgil is an ESL (English as a Second Language) student who has acquired two languages in his upbringing. He is moving to the United States with his family. The entire family is anxious to learn English and the American way of life. Virgil's family is very proud of their heritage and cultural traditions. They have decided to learn English at school and work, but speak their other two languages at home. Virgil is an outgoing young man who experienced difficulties in learning mathematical concepts in his native country. He is hoping that math will be easier for him in the United States. Virgil's parents enroll him in Ms. Tucker's third grade classroom. Hearing the English language being spoken and observing his new environment frightens Virgil. Ms. Tucker decides to ignore Virgil's fearful facial expressions and allow him to be totally immersed in his new culture. She continues to teach the students exactly the way she has done in the past. After all, her teaching methods have been successful for many years. In the afternoon, when the classroom students begin to take out their textbooks with numbers printed on the cover, Virgil perceives that it is time for math. The same sinking feeling he experienced in his old school started to reoccur in his new classroom. Not only was the new language confusing, but the entire math period left Virgil feeling lost and uncomfortable. After a few weeks of math lessons, Ms. Tucker decides to refer Virgil to the Special Education director. It was obvious to Ms. Tucker that Virgil was not understanding the math lessons and he was scoring poorly on the assessments. She felt that perhaps Virgil had some learning disabilities which needed attention. While he was receiving special help with math, Ms. Tucker could conduct class as usual.

Questions:
1. Did Virgil suffer from "math anxiety?"
2. What interventions could Ms. Tucker implement before coming to her conclusions about Virgil?
3. Was total language immersion what Virgil needed?

Posted on: 12/30/12 | Views: 2361
Solution #1
Top Solution
I do not think that Virgial suffered from "math anxiety". According to other studies, Virgil probably just suffered from not knowing what was happening next in the classroom. While everyone else knew what the teacher was talking about, he did not and had to base his actions off of what everyone else was doing. An intervention that Ms. Tucker could of implemented before coming to her conclusion about Virgil is getting him help learning a second language before placing him with a special help teacher. She should of found out if he really did have anxiety or if it was just a language barrier. I do not think that total language immersion is what Virgil needed. Since he was so scared of learning a new language, his teachers should of eased him into the new language rather than dunking him into English.

i agree

I totally agree. This is the best solution. I would do exactly this.

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Solution #2
Top Solution
I think it is possible that Virgil may have suffered from math anxiety. The text says that he had struggled with math in the past and had been dreading the math lesson all day. However I do believe that his math anxiety may have been heightened due to the act that he did not understand the new language. I feel that Ms. Tucker should have slowed down on the very first day that Virgil was in her class. Obviously she could tell by the look on his face that he was terrified. She should have taken the time to slowly explain things to him in order to make sure he understood. Ms. Tucker's total immersion plan did not benefit Virgil at all, in fact, it may have hindered his ability to learn.

I agree he did need extra help with math and the teacher needed to be open to different ESOL methods for him.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #3
Top Solution
Virgil does suffer from "math anxiety" because his behavior was consistent in every language. The "sinking feeling" that he describes at the beginning of math time is a tell-tale sign of anxiety. However, this anxiety is not being eased by Ms. Tucker's method of total language immersion, it is only being made worse by overwhelming him and leaving him "lost and uncomfortable". Ms. Tucker is going to have to differentiate her lessons to cater to his individual needs. Coming to the conclusion that Virgil is not comprehending the math concepts because he has a learning disability without giving him an alternative assessment was hasty of Ms. Tucker. Perhaps the assessment included lengthy word problems or instructions that he could not read. She should sit down with him and use physical objects that he can count and write down the numbers for or utilize an ESOL specialist to give him the test in his native languages to test his comprehension before assuming he has a learning disability.

I believe that Virgil did suffer from Math anxiety. Virgil had complications with math before he even moved to America. If Ms. Tucker would have made him feel welcomed he probably would have been more at ease with being in a math class. Ms. Tucker could have assigned him to a partner who's really good at math. Ms. Tucker could meet Virgil before class or after class to help with his math problems. Ms. Tucker could have also encouraged him more. I do not feel like total language immersion was not the best for Virgil. I believe he just needed extra help from his classmates or Ms. Tucker.

good idea

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Solution #4
1. Virgil did not suffer from "math anxiety." He simply did not understand the material and needed more help, not to be referred to special education 2. Just because her teaching methods have been successful in the past doesn't mean that they will work for Virgil. Virgil should have some one on one help and the teacher should use lots of manipulatives instead of just saying "oh he must have a learning disability because he doesn't understand the way I'm teaching." Every student learns different and we need to try accommodate and help every student before just assuming they have a learning disability. 3. I don't think language immersion in the beginning was what he needed. A lot of his difficulty with math came from not understanding the english and being apprehensive about the new world he was in. He should have been eased into english instead of just being thrown to the wolves essentially.

good idea

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Solution #5
Yes, Virgil suffered from "math anxiety" because he reacted the same way in his native country to math. Moving to a new country did not change that, rather it most likely exacerbated his anxiety. Ms. Tucker should have taken the time to sit down with Virgil and slowly discuss exactly what problems, whether mathematical or lingual, Virgil was experiencing. Also, if the language barrier was too much to overcome, an interpreter or the ESOL personnel could be called in to do the same thing and go over the content. Total language immersion was not what Virgil needed. He already had anxiety to math in his native language and with the immersion technique superimposed, Virgil felt overwhelmed. Referring him to special ed. is very premature response at this stage. I think Virgil should be evaluated solely on his math techniques, without assuming that he is cognitively impaired overall.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #6
Based on Virgil's reaction to the students just taking out their math textbooks, it is clear that Virgil is suffering from "math anxiety". If something that small sets you off, then you have some form of anxiety. Before referring Virgil to the Special Education director, Ms. Tucker should have took the time to make sure Virgil is comfortable in his new environment. Moving to a country that you never been to before and having to learn a different language can be overwhelming to a child. The teacher should have also tried to help him if he needed something. If they are working on some math problems, Ms. Tucker should help him by doing one problem with him and breaking it down step by step. Ms. Tucker shouldn't use total language immersion for Virgil at first. In my opinion, I think teachers need to know some of another language besides English. The teacher can make labels written in Virgil's native language and put them all over the classroom. This will help Virgil because he will get used to his new environment and he wouldn't be as overwhelmed. After a while, the teacher should slowly start communicating to Virgil in English. Also the teacher should encourage his family to help him with his English vocabulary. This will not only help Virgil with his English, but also the parents since they really want to learn the English language.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #7
Based off of the emotions that Virgil experienced during math class, he is suffering from "math anxiety." He exhibited fearful facial expressions and experienced a "sinking feeling" while trying to learn math. There are many interventions that Ms. Tucker could implement before coming to her conclusions about Virgil. First off, she could have a one-on-one conference with him to discuss his concerns and thoughts in dealing with math. After the conference, she could work with him and have other students work with him in peer tutoring. She could meet with him a few times a week to make sure that he is not falling behind. In a way, total language immersion is a good thing and in a way it is a bad thing. In the case of Virgil, total language immersion was not what Virgil needed. He started to fall behind early, and this just caused him frustration and lack of confidence.

I would exactly do this

4 0
Solution #8
It is very obvious that Virgil struggled from "math anxiety," he clearly had an enthusiasm for learning and was excited about learning the American culture, except for math. Math was weighing heavily on the forefront of his mind and was something that he was not very confident in, even though he seems to exude confidence in other subjects. Ms. Tucker should have closely observed Virgil on the first day to read his body language and see where she thought he was struggling. Ms. Tucker could tell he was intimidated by the math and kept going without asking any questions. Ms. Tucker could have given him a peer that speaks his native language or given him a peer tutor that was good in math and could simply just show him the steps broken down. Virgil did not need total immersion, especially on top of the math anxiety. The immersion only added to the intimidation and fear that Virgil was already experiencing.

good idea

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Solution #9
1. Ashcraft, Ph.D. defines math anxiety as "a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance." I believe Virgil was suffering from math anxiety. He had already struggled in math prior to being in Ms. Tucker's class. That feeling of fear he had before could have only grown by being in an environment where his native language is not spoken. 2. Ms. Tucker could have taken an interest in Virgil's situation and invested her time with him. She could have set up some one on one time with Virgil to see if he was just scared or he truly did not understand the concepts being taught during their math lesson. 3. I do not believe that total language immersion is what Virgil needed. As a ESL student it is overwhelming to be thrown into such an environment where communicating is so important and at the same time such a challenge. Virgil was in need of solid one on one work to help him feel for confident and comfortable in Ms. Tucker's class.
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Solution #10
Virgil definitely did not need total language immersion. The massive change from what he is used to lead him to suffer from serious 'math anxiety'. This kind of anxiety and worry can happen to students whose native language is English, to assume otherwise is naive. If Ms. Tucker would have given him any kind of extra help at all and it would be an improvement over the current situation. Ms. Tucker could have made use of individual work time to have short conferences with Virgil concerning his work. The usage of manipulatives could also help reveal whether the issue is math, language, or a combination of the two. Another issue that is well known concerning ELL students is that they struggle with word problems. If Ms. Tucker uses a dominantly word problem format, then she could possibly make an accommodation for Virgil and change the test format. Ms. Tucker could also use any free time Virgil has to review concepts with him or to review his work. As long as the teacher remains positive, then the student will not think that they are being punished. The positive environment will encourage the student to open up and not be afraid to be wrong; making mistakes is essential to learning and should not be criticized. Ms. Tucker either needs to seek the advice of an ELL teacher, or make an effort to explain direction more than once and in more than one way for this student.

I would exactly do this

4 0
Solution #11
I do not think that Virgil suffers from "math anxiety". I think because he is new to the United States he is unfamiliar with English and he also had difficulty with math in his native country which is the reason he is scoring poorly on his math now. I think Mrs. Tucker should take time to sit with Virgil separately and help him with his math. She could give him more simple problems and help build up his skills before teaching more skills he does not know. I think total language was not what Virgil needed because now Mrs. Tucker wants to refer him to Special Education when he probably just needs some one-on-one assistance with learning English and his math skills. I think Virgil is just a little overwhelmed and needs some extra encouragement from Mrs. Tucker.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #12
1. Virgil's anxiety was a result of him being in a new environment surrounded by a language that he did not understand. He already felt anxiety towards math, so this escalated when he moved to the States. 2. Ms. Tucker needs to differentiate instruction for Virgil. She should have him in ELL classes and work with him individually to assess what he knows. She should not assume that her lessons should remain unchanged and Virgil will understand. 3. Virgil did not need total language immersion. He would understand the content better if his language barrier were considered. Being immersed in English just made him more confused and anxious about his new home.

good ideas

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Solution #13
Based on Virgil's reaction to the students just taking out their math textbooks, it is clear that Virgil is suffering from "math anxiety". If something that small sets you off, then you have some form of anxiety. Before referring Virgil to the Special Education director, Ms. Tucker should have took the time to make sure Virgil is comfortable in his new environment. Moving to a country that you never been to before and having to learn a different language can be overwhelming to a child. The teacher should have also tried to help him if he needed something. If they are working on some math problems, Ms. Tucker should help him by doing one problem with him and breaking it down step by step. Ms. Tucker shouldn't use total language immersion for Virgil at first. In my opinion, I think teachers need to know some of another language besides English. The teacher can make labels written in Virgil's native language and put them all over the classroom. This will help Virgil because he will get used to his new environment and he wouldn't be as overwhelmed. After a while, the teacher should slowly start communicating to Virgil in English. Also the teacher should encourage his family to help him with his English vocabulary. This will not only help Virgil with his English, but also the parents since they really want to learn the English language.

good ideas

3 0
Solution #14
I think that Virgil did suffer from some type of math anxiety. Considering that he did not do very well in math before he moved to America, he might have suffered from the same uneasy feelings that he felt in his new classroom. I think that Ms. Tucker could have helped Virgil feel comfortable in the classroom at first, which would've made him more at ease. Then I think that she could've assigned him a partner to possibly help him in math. She also could've taken the time to tutor or explain the math topics to Virgil. I do not think that total language immersion was what was best for Virgil. I think that he needed some help from the teachers and the students. An ESOL program might have worked great for Virgil.

I would exactly do this.

3 0
Solution #15
Virgil previously had trouble in math in his home country, and this was only made worse by coming to a country where he did not speak the primary language. Ms. Tucker did not try to help him with math and English as much as she could have, but just continued to practice her old ways of teaching. Virgil gets very worried during school because he does not know exactly when math is coming next in the day. Ms. Tucker should have worked one on one with Virgil on his math. Virgil previously had problems with math, but not knowing how to speak English proficiently only made his anxiety worse. Ms. Tucker should have given Virgil the necessary help that he needed for both his English and math. She did not do this, but automatically assumed that he needed to be placed in special education. Language immersion would have been beneficial for Virgil to a point. He would have had a better time understanding what the math problems are asking, but he still would not have been able to solve the answers correctly.

I would exactly do this.

3 0
Solution #16
1. I think that Virgil definitely suffered from math anxiety. He displayed such distaste for math. He didn't like it and he struggled with it, therefore he obviously exhibited anxious behavior when he was required to do math each day. 2. Ms. Tucker could have tried to work with Virgil individually. She could've given him some direct attention to see where his actual struggle with math began or what he was having reservations about during math lessons. 3. I do not think that Virgil should've been totally immersed in the classroom initially. He should've been given some attention in specific content areas in order to ease the transition into a total language classroom.
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Solution #17
The subject of math clearly causes anxiety in Virgil. Some ways his teacher can help him are: 1. Refer him to ESOL immediately to get him some help. 2. Pair him with a buddy who speaks his native language to encourage him. 3. Use technology to help him accomplish math in a non-threatening manner 4. Give him opportunities to succeed in math to nullify his "self-fulfilling prophesy" that he can't do math.

good ideas

2 0
Solution #18
I believe that Virgil did suffer from some sort of Math anxiety, but the anxiety was a result from his lack of the English language. Ms. Tucker could have considered other options before turning to total language immersion. Although it may be frustrating at times, teachers must prepare themselves for these situations. Ms. Tucker could have offered a private tutor secession weekly and more time could have been spent working with Virgil to see exactly what the problem was before sending him to the Special Education Director.
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Solution #19
Questions: 1. Did Virgil suffer from "math anxiety?" In a way, yes. I believe he is more nervous about being completely immersed in the new culture with no added assistance from the teacher. The teacher handled this situation poorly and is responsible for Virgil not learning the material. He could have been much more comfortable with differentiated instruction and modified assessments. Then, he would not have to be referred to the special needs. 2. What interventions could Ms. Tucker implement before coming to her conclusions about Virgil? I do not think her referral to Special ed was valid. Virgil was a new student, in a new country, with new peers and teachers. Any child would be nervous about this change. Virgil needed to be slowly immersed in the new school and material. He could have had tutoring or sat by a peer that could offer assistance. Maybe one on one time with a speech therapist. There are many ways to differentiate the lessons as well. 3. Was total language immersion what Virgil needed? No, absolutely not. This was probably traumatizing to Virgil. He needed to be slowly immersed. He needed much more time to adjust and familiarize himself with his new surroundings. It is all very new and confusing and he has not help or assistance adjusting to the new school. It was not fair at all to refer to Speacial ed without helping him succeed first.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #20
2. What interventions could Ms. Tucker implement before coming to her conclusions about Virgil? I believe that Ms. Tucker should have taken Virgil aside and tried to do a few math problems with him, just one on one. If he still had the same fear, then she should have had his ESL teacher try the same thing. He might be able to do the problems if he has one on one time and has someone explain it to him to the point where he is able to fully understand it.
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Solution #21
I think that Virgil suffered from a small type of Math Anxiety, but more importantly he just did not understand the material. He has never been taught math in a way that he understands it and so the whole idea of it scares him. Ms. Tucker should have tried to understand Virgil's side of why he is struggling in math. She should talk to him and see what the issues are before directly sending him to a special education classroom. I think total language immersion is a good idea but when it comes to learning certain subjects it can get tricky. The English language is very hard to understand. So if you have a teacher teaching in English, a subject like math it could get very complicated. I think slowly learning English would have been a better fit for Virgil.

good ideas

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Solution #22
To answer number 2, I think the teacher could have tried other possibilities to help Virgil's English before referring him to the Special Educator director.

The special education teacher might be better able to help Virgil than Mrs. Tucker. She may not be the best teacher for Virgil.

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Solution #23
1. I believe that Virgil suffered from a little "math anxiety," but his main issue was total immersion. 2. It seems as if she only observed him. Maybe she should have simply asked him what's going on? What can I do to help? She wrote him off as needing Special Education before she tried to help him herself. I think that if she had simply asked him what was going on, he would have been able to tell her that he was lost. He had trouble with math before, but this coupled with some language barriers has left him lost and confused. Maybe she could get an ESOL teacher to help out, or a paraprofessional that speaks the same language. Maybe she could spend some one on one time with him and Google Translate. She could type the word problem into Google Translate and see if that helps Virgil connect to the problem. 3. Total language immersion was fine, except for math. It was the subject itself, coupled with a new language that left Virgil confused.

good idea

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Solution #24
I think he was overwhelmed at having to learn a new language and new academic concepts at the same time. I think he needs to be in a EIP class or group where he can have extra help on his math skills. I think he also needs a ELL teacher to come in at least once or twice a week to work on his english also.

good ideas

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Solution #25
I think that Virgil suffered from "math anxiety" before he came to the United States and suffered from it in his new classroom as well as not understanding what they were saying. He already had anxiety about the math before but coming here made things a little worse because he couldn't understand what was even being said. Some interventions Ms. Tucker could have done before going to the Special Ed teacher is to work one on one with Virgil before or after school to see what was going on with him. She should have tested him at his level of math to see exactly where he was to know what to do next. I also don't agree that total language immersion was the best thing for Virgil. He is very unsure about math already and now its even worse because he can't even understand what they are saying. If he was better in all academic courses then immersion would have been fine, but since he struggles in math, I don't think that was the best solution for Virgil.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #26
1. No I do not think that Virgil suffered from "math anxiety" it was more of "I have no clue what is going on" anxiety. Virgil was not recieving any help from the teacher to learn the new language. According to the articles the teacher needs to provide assistance. She needs to use pictures and signals to help Virgil communicate. 2. I think that she should try to help him learn the English language before he trys to learn the subjects in a language he does not know. She needs to put up pictures, words in his language, and words in English to help him grasp the meaning of some English words. She needs to help build up his vocabulary and make sure he understands before moving on. 3.I do not think that total language immersion was not helpful for Virgil because he was nervous already before he even entered the classroom. I think that if he was put in a more comfortable, helpful environment he would have not been so nervous.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #27
According to previous difficulties in math, Virgil may have had some math anxiety. The information states that Virgil was having difficulties in math in his native country before entering the United States, so he may have gone into the classroom with some anxiety about math. Ms. Tucker should have not ignored Virgil's "fearful facial expressions"; she should have had a student teacher conference and asked him what he was most worried about. The information also states that Ms. Tucker waited a few weeks before referring Virgil to the Special Education director. Ms. Tucker should have referred him to an ESL teacher if there was one available before putting him with a Special Education teacher. I believe that Ms. Tucker's plan of total language immersion was not a great idea for Virgil because he was having such a hard time keeping up and it made him feel uncomfortable. She should have accommodated for Virgil's need and made sure that he felt comfortable in the classroom.

I would exactly do this

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Solution #28
1. Virgil did not suffer from math anxiety, he simply did not understand what was being taught. As a teacher, you need to help students seek new opportunities of how to learn in another language. For example, in this case it would be helpful to Virgil if the teacher had an assistant that spoke the same language as the student. This way the assistant teacher could explain the math to Virgil so that it's understood. 2. Ms. Tucker could implement the practice of explaining the math to Virgil in the students language. It would help the student tremendously to understand what is actually being taught. 3. No. Virgil needed to first learn the English language before being brought into the classroom of English speakers. It's a key factor that played a part in how well that Virgil understood what was being taught.
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