The Importance of Belonging

I was reminded the other day about my high school experience, and one specific decision I made. Just starting my freshman year, I signed up for a mechanical drafting class. My older brother had taken it and enjoyed it a great deal. On my first day of class, I had a hard time finding the room and walked in a couple minutes late. Self-conscious about that, I was also rattled to find all the other students were boys and they seemed older than me.

In that instant, I decided to drop the class. In my mind, not only did freshmen not belong in there, neither did girls. No one said or did anything to exclude me, but I automatically excluded myself. Who knows how things would have gone if I had stuck around. What I do know is how intense the need to belong is and how scary it can be when the need is not met.

We believe when students dislike math, or feel like they’re not good at it, what they experience is frustration about math they don’t understand. That frustration can feel a lot like a lack of belonging though, and have far-reaching consequences. At Mathnasium, we want all kids to know they belong in the math world. Too often, we see them excluded, by their own decision or by someone else’s, even if they have everything it takes to succeed. That sense of belonging is crucial for helping students persevere when the going gets tough.

We KNOW kids can do math – when they’re ready for it and when it’s taught in a way they understand. They DO belong in the math world and we want to help them feel that way. For more on the importance of belonging, check out Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen.