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The biggest piece I contribute to my students is support. In my classroom, I really focus on the importantance of being wrong sometimes. I celebrate being wrong because it is a means of constructing ideas. Recently I have had a problem with students taking a VERY long complete math work. While I introduce the activity I harp on the fact that it may be challenging, but I would not have them complete a task unless I knew they could do it. My students have been perservering by continuing to work in the face of these challenges. For example, I had a student in tears the other day because she thought she could not complete a missing number activity, but I encouraged her and so did her peers! It was great to see her stick with it after our community of learners supported her efforts.

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I think looking back at my notes from our last book talk meeting says a lot.  There are five very brief bullet points that stood out to me regarding our last discussion.
-MP1 applies to all content areas ("thinking").
--In the world of work MP1 are the survival skills.
-GOLD
-the memorizer vs. the problem solver
-PM1 is the glue that holds it all together.

All of my students need more practice in this standard.  However, this year one student stands out as needing this as a focus.  She is the student that says "I don't get it." after everything I model/present.  If I say this is black and that is white, she says, "I don't get it."   She does lack in number sense, but I think a lot of her reactions are trained behaviors.  I've been trying very hard to not rush to her rescue each time she pulls the "I don't get it" card.  She is getting more used to the routine of me modeling and presenting strategies followed by having the students work in groups to discuss and  attempt.  Attempt is the key word I'm working on with her.  Simply having her know that it's ok to give it a shot and try out some different methods with her group or on her own before we regroup and discuss as a whole group is something she is working on improving.  If I run to her rescue right away each and every time or assume she doesn't get it, she will never learn to persevere.

-Wendy

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Teaching perseverance in math is very challenging, but it all starts with modeling for your students and giving them the tools that they need to be successful.  At the beginning of every school year, I tell my students the struggles I had in math when I was in school.  I explain to them that they need to keep at it and use the strategies they are being taught in class.  Make it game and to not let the problem "win".   Since the beginning of the year and beginning TTQ, I have seen an increase in my student's ability to attack word problems with not being afraid and automatically saying "I don't know what to do."  I do hear students talking more with one another and giving suggestions and ideas of what information they need to use and/or what strategies they can use to work through a problem.   We are currently working on solving 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication and what seemed to be very overwhelming for some students in the beginning of this unit is now becoming a skill that they enjoy doing and show pride in teaching it to the entire class.  Teaching and modeling a variety of strategies for solving math problems is the key to allowing students to building confidence and avoid the fear of failure.

-Lori

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I have found that perseverance in math is closely tied to organization (of students' thinking and work). I have noticed that often times, students are overwhelmed by trying to get the answer right away, and they aren't taking time to organize their thoughts in order to solve and then want to give up. TTQ has been a great help for this. I had many students who groaned at TTQ the first two weeks. It was unnatural and a lot of "work." But it has since given my kids another tool for their math toolbox - organization! It has given students a way to organize their thoughts, much like a graphic organizer does in reading and writing, so that they can persevere longer when faced with a challenging problem. It no longer seems so daunting. I try to incorporate the language of TTQ into daily math instruction, so that it's not something that they just do during TTQ. I ask questions like, "What is the question asking? What do you already know? What strategy could you use to solve?"
-Carolyn

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Teaching students to persevere can be challenging, especially with Kindergarten. Often, my students lack the confidence to keep going when they feel that they are struggling. Often times, they do not want to solve a problem on paper if they think they may make a mistake. When a student is struggling with a math concept, I try to encourage them to think about the situation in a different way, without telling them the answer.

For example, I presented a problem on a whiteboard during small-group instruction for my students to solve. Each time they suggested how to solve the problem, I wrote it on the white board exactly how they told me to solve it. I continued to ask them how they knew it was correct or incorrect, and when it was incorrect, I said "Ok, so let's try something else." They suggested a new strategy, and we tried again. Approaching problems this way allows them to completely finish their thought process without me interrupting to correct, and they discover how to strategize and self-monitor while they problem solve. Having them work as a group in a discussion while I wrote the problem as they told me what to do helped take the pressure off of them. As a result, they were not afraid to verbally take risks or make mistakes.

Although it takes much longer to solve a problem when we use this approach, it allows the students to realize that they can "fix it" themselves, without my help. Giving students the time to work it out on their own in a "productive struggle" is more beneficial to them then just telling them how to fix it.

- Jess

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We have been working on trying to be supportive of each other when solving all sort of problems.  Students that understand the concepts are quick to show students that don't have the concepts the answers, which doesn't teach the strugglers how to persevere.  I've been working with all students on how to ask questions such as the ones on page 47 to help those that need the help, but to also make the ones understand stronger by having to explain more indepth how they arrived at the answer.  We have talked a lot about wait time and giving everyone a chance to think things through.  Also, I try reminding the students that though one may think they have the right solution to a problem that there may be other solutions and to find those other ways to think through the problem.  TTQ has been a big help in helping students persevere through math problems that they might have struggled on before, but having strategies in their toolbox is a huge benefit and has made  many successful in my room.

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We have been working on trying to be supportive of each other when solving all sort of problems.  Students that understand the concepts are quick to show students that don't have the concepts the answers, which doesn't teach the strugglers how to persevere.  I've been working with all students on how to ask questions such as the ones on page 47 to help those that need the help, but to also make the ones understand stronger by having to explain more indepth how they arrived at the answer.  We have talked a lot about wait time and giving everyone a chance to think things through.  Also, I try reminding the students that though one may think they have the right solution to a problem that there may be other solutions and to find those other ways to think through the problem.  TTQ has been a big help in helping students persevere through math problems that they might have struggled on before, but having strategies in their toolbox is a huge benefit and has made  many successful in my room.

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- Jaci

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One thing I really need students to understand is that THEY have some tools in their toolbox that they can try before getting help. It is really important that students learn how to “give it a try” before they ask for help.  When my students ask for help, instead of giving them advice or a hint, the first thing I ask is, “What have you tried?”

In kindergarten I get: “I don’t get it.”  “I can’t do it.”  “Can you just show me how?”

If Students don’t always have the skills it takes to push through a difficult problem and find the solution on their own. I have found five ways to develop students’ math confidence, help them stick with a problem and banish the “I don’t get its” for good.

1. Model your own problem solving. As you introduce a concept to the class, share your thinking out loud, calling on material students have already mastered and presenting solutions for when you get stuck. For example, you might say, “Hmm, I’m not sure how to solve this next part. I wonder if I can use manipulatives or draw a picture to help me find the answer.”

2. Use anchor charts. Hang charts around your classroom that can help students determine a next step if they are confused.

3. Offer manipulatives. While many primary classrooms use to help teach students math basics, manipulatives can be a great resource for older students who need a concrete, visual way of looking at a problem.

4.Think-pair-share. While many teachers use this strategy in reading, fewer do in math even though it works just as well! When presenting a problem, first have students think about how to solve it and then share their ideas with a partner. Finally have the pairs communicate their thoughts with the entire class.

5. Try math journaling. Ask kids to write about their math challenges, successes and solutions for difficult problems. Occasionally revisit past entries so that students can see what they’ve learned so far.

Mary Ann

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Perseverance in math, is a whole different bird in the learning support setting. We talked about how we can make things into smaller more manageable parts, rather than looking at the whole. We spent time talking about ballpark answers and just what answers make sense. I put my LS kids to a challenge (set a goal) to dive deeper into problems using KWSolve to develop well thought out answers.  Most of my students are immediately turned off when we talk about diving deeper and spending more time, but we looked at the differences of when we have a plan.  Also to take the extra time to make sure that you truly understand the problem and make it more meaningful.   I was much more succesful as we tried to add meaning to it.  I went back and pulled out Unifix cubes to help them truly understand fractions and had them practice making improper fractions and dividing to create mixed numbers.  By spending that time and now showing that understanding we worked together to rebuild a checklist to help us solve our problems. It was great to observe them using math talk creating this.   Now, using a checklist, thinking of individual steps and to breaking problems down one step at a time.   They are showing perseverance.  -
-Gary

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Perseverance is definitely a skill that needs to be explicitly taught to students.  I feel like most students tend to want to give up when something does not come easy to them.  Realizing this, it is important to provide students with strategies to help them learn to work through a problem and continue to solve it.  I can think of times, when I taught math, that it was difficult to watch students struggle to get through a problem.  It was often easier to just tell them what to do instead of letting them figure it out on their own. However, the times that I let them work through and persevere are the times that they truly learned the skill and felt good about themselves afterward because they had been successful.
Perseverance needs to be taught to students perhaps even outside of the math classroom so that they are then able to carry over the skill when working through word problems.

-Kristen

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In third grade we usually have a few students that begin the year already "knowing" their multiplication facts.  Yes, they have the facts memorized, which is a good thing, but they don't always understand the meaning of the factors and therefore have a hard time applying it to solve word problems.  I have found that these students tend to struggle with perseverance.  They are used to getting the answer correct the first time, so when they have to work at a problem, they get very frustrated and give up.  So I have been working with my class to understand it is okay to not know the answer right away but that as long as they work at solving the problem, using different strategies, drawing pictures, etc. they will eventually get the correct answer and that is what is important.  When I notice a student working very hard on solving a problem I make sure to recognize their efforts in the classroom - regardless if the answer is correct.  I want my students to learn that life is not always handed to them - they will have to work for their rewards.  

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In third grade we usually have a few students that begin the year already "knowing" their multiplication facts.  Yes, they have the facts memorized, which is a good thing, but they don't always understand the meaning of the factors and therefore have a hard time applying it to solve word problems.  I have found that these students tend to struggle with perseverance.  They are used to getting the answer correct the first time, so when they have to work at a problem, they get very frustrated and give up.  So I have been working with my class to understand it is okay to not know the answer right away but that as long as they work at solving the problem, using different strategies, drawing pictures, etc. they will eventually get the correct answer and that is what is important.  When I notice a student working very hard on solving a problem I make sure to recognize their efforts in the classroom - regardless if the answer is correct.  I want my students to learn that life is not always handed to them - they will have to work for their rewards.  

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In order to help promote perseverance in my classroom we have watched Class Dojo videos for the confidence factor, and I have provided a sequential strategy which helps my students attack word problems. This gives them a starting point and also something to fall back on when they feel like they are lost in all of the information. Study, Plan, Act and Reflect is an anchor chart in my classroom and each student has a personal copy to use when they feel challenged and do not know what to do. I still need to be more intentional in referring to and encouraging students to use it, but I have enjoyed hearing confident conversations during our math time.

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While building our community of learners we watched many of the Class Dojo videos. We watched the Class Dojo Growth Mindset videos and the Perseverance videos. The class really connected to these and enjoyed them. I found we referred back to them a lot.
Our first math unit was on story problems. These included Put Together, Add To, Take From, Take Apart, Compare, and even Two-Step story problems. Before and even during the unit, we watched the BrainPop video on solving story problems. This is a great video! It breaks down the specific steps of understanding the problem, making a plan, solving the problem, and checking your work. We made this our go to! Every problem we worked through we made sure we followed those 4 steps. I noticed more students underlining the question in their story problems and more students labeling the numbers in their math drawings. Students were utilizing and trying different math plans- Math Mountains, Comparison Bars, Quick Tens and Ones, and I noticed the students engaging in more Math Talk!  I really think the video really broke down for the children what perseverance looks like and how a mathematician would persevere.
-Samatha

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I was working with a small group of 3rd graders and as soon as they were presented with a multi-step word problem they froze and immediately stated, "It's too hard.  I don't know what to do."
I reassured them that they could solve this problem it they stopped and used their math tools (their brain).

I asked, what could we do first to help us?  It was suggested by a student to reread the problem and find the question.   - So we did.

Now what? - Can you solve it??  It was suggested by another student to reread it again and find the important info. that was in the problem and highlight it.   - So We did.

We continued in this manner until one student said, "Hey, I think we have everything to solve it."  My response was "okay - go for it!"

Sure enough they were able to solve the problem with the information they had found.

Not once did I tell them what to do or how.  After, I said to them, "I knew you could solve it.  Did you learn anything?"

We discussed that it it is important to reread and find all of the information and make sense of it to help us solve.  We also discussed that continuing to go back and try until they could solve it was perseverance that it take a lot of it sometimes to solve problems.

-Julia

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We have recently been learning how to multiply two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers.  For most of my students, this concept came easily. For two of my students, however, this concept was lost on them.  Instead of getting frustrated and just giving up, they surprised me by working together, until they started to make sense of the skill.  They took the initiative and asked for help, showing me exactly where they were still confused.  Together, the three of us were able to work through the concept, and now both students are getting stronger when multiplying.
-Jillian

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I think the biggest step my class has taken is bringing Math Practice Standard #1 to the forefront.   We take it down from the pocket chart when we are challenged and talk about persevering.  We have set the bar high, but we are in it together.  I have really seen the students stepping up to the plate and sticking with it.  We have a Garfield poster in our room.  Garfield is stuck to the window with suction cups.  When challenged, we point to Garfield and recite the quote, "Stick to it and You'll Do it!"  :)

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I think the biggest step my class has taken is bringing Math Practice Standard #1 to the forefront.   We take it down from the pocket chart when we are challenged and talk about persevering.  We have set the bar high, but we are in it together.  I have really seen the students stepping up to the plate and sticking with it.  We have a Garfield poster in our room.  Garfield is stuck to the window with suction cups.  When challenged, we point to Garfield and recite the quote, "Stick to it and You'll Do it!"  :)

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Elsie

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Perseverance is a life skill that is needed in everything you do in life.  Students learn to tackle math problems with all the tools in their bags that we have given them.  Sometimes those tools are not enough and we need to look to other students for help.  It is amazing how a peer can walk a friend through a tough problem just by saying let’s try another strategy.  I enjoying having students show their work on the smartboard.  This allows everyone to see that one problem can be solved in different ways.  We do not need to solve every problem the same way.  My students have used the Mathematical Practices that I have introduced so far to guide them with solving their math problems.  I have also heard my students with other subjects, when they are having difficulty, comment to each other to try a different way to see if they can solve their problem.  Perseverance, it’s a way of life!

-Linda

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One way I have helped my students persevere during math class is working through problems even when a student supplies an incorrect idea.  Instead of telling the student right away that they are wrong or that we disagree with their plan/equation, we sometimes take their idea and work it out on the board.  Sometimes it is clear right away that we are incorrect (example: having an equation that cannot be divided evenly) and then we model and discuss why this plan or strategy didn't work.  We then modify our plan and try something else.  This has helped my students learn perseverance and now I'm starting to see them analyze their work more thoroughly for mistakes and try a new idea to eventually reach the correct answer.
-Kelly

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Perseverance is a skill that is used often in math and much needed in everyday life. I see students easily give up if they cannot find the answer right away or it takes “too much” effort. However, I have enjoyed watching my students work on tough word problems such as multi-step problems, TTQ questions, and error analysis (even though they think the puzzled penguin is always wrong). It’s that pause time to let students look back on their work and even talk it out with a partner or group that helps them further understand a problem. I’ve been working on giving that time. I have also tried creating more group work and less whole group time. Monitoring has helped students to explain to one another why they solved a problem in a certain way. Some of my students have stepped up as teachers to their peers. It’s neat to see them begin to process the ways of problem solving and not give up!

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Perseverance is a skill that is used often in math and much needed in everyday life. I see students easily give up if they cannot find the answer right away or it takes “too much” effort. However, I have enjoyed watching my students work on tough word problems such as multi-step problems, TTQ questions, and error analysis (even though they think the puzzled penguin is always wrong). It’s that pause time to let students look back on their work and even talk it out with a partner or group that helps them further understand a problem. I’ve been working on giving that time. I have also tried creating more group work and less whole group time. Monitoring has helped students to explain to one another why they solved a problem in a certain way. Some of my students have stepped up as teachers to their peers. It’s neat to see them begin to process the ways of problem solving and not give up!

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-Sophie

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I noticed when it comes to second graders, it is hard for them to think in different ways/strategies. After our first discussion, I came to realize that it doesn't matter about the quality of problems being done in class, but the quality. I have since done less problems, but went over multiple strategies to help the students persevere through the "harder" ones.  I realized that students listen more when help or motivation is given by a peer, so during independent or partner work, students help one another by telling them to try a different strategy. As a teacher, I try to start with having the student explain what s/he CAN do and go through an explanation process. Growth Mindset phrases can also help a student persevere through difficult problems in math.
Ashley C.

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Currently in second grade, we are learning how to solve 2-digit addition equations. For some students, they were able to grasp the concept easily. For others, they needed extra practice and individualized support. We teach them various strategies to solve these types of equations, and I encourage my students to use the strategy that works best for THEM! Every student learns differently, and it is important to encourge those differences in the classroom. By teaching these different strategies, along with Growth Mindset phrases, my students are able to perserve when they have difficulty in math. I also post an "I can" statement at the beginning of each lesson to set a specific goal for that day. I also provide my students with opportunities to self-reflect at the beginning and end of each lesson. By doing this, they are able to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and celebrate their growth and perserverance towards achieving a goal.

-Ashley S.

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Second graders do not naturally persevere when working with math problems. In fact they are usually quick to say they don't know, they give up or they can't do it. In my class I am working on teaching my students that we should not use these terms. Instead use statements such as  I need to use a different strategy, I need to train my brain so I can do this, I am going to learn this with some help, or ask themselves what am I missing.  One way I used/taught perseverance in my class was when we learning how to solve word problems (which we start with at the beginning of the year) I taught my students that their were 6 steps they had to use to solve the problem. The steps are: first  read the WHOLE problem, second write the question as a statement (It also helped that we were learning about RACE at the time and turning the question into the statement was a great way for them to learn how to use words from the question in their answer! ), third answer the question who or what is the problem about (this was their label), fourth figure out how they are going to solve it (find key words that help them decide what they need to do to solve), fifth solve their problem, and sixth check their answer. Many times my students would get frustrated with these 6 steps because they take time to complete. Through teaching them these steps it helped them persevere through a problem when they were unsure as it always gave them a starting point and steps to work through to help them get through the whole problem. I think that teaching word problems in this way really helped my students work through more difficult problems in the end.
-Julie

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One way I have helped my students persevere in Math is through talking out tough problems with a peer. We have been focused on multi-step word problems. For some students, they can tackle the problems with the strategies I have been teaching. For other students, even with the strategies in their "toolbox" they still struggle. I find that if they are given some time to talk it out, they will persevere longer. Also since starting this book study I have found myself asking the students to explain "why" or asking them to "Show me the evidence". Even though RACE strategy was originally introduced in ELA, we are using it in MATH. Students can't just answer the question, they have to cite their evidence on how they got their evidence. During my guided math I am stating my goal (G) during my SWBAT, and then during my guided groups I observe(O) my students doing the skills, listen (L) as they state what they are doing (D)and ask them to answer the why questions.  -Kristi

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Perseverance is a life skill that goes in math and beyond. I often think that if you watch a student in math class you will see how they approach life problems. I have been working with my students to build their perseverance in math and beyond. I have begun teaching Growth Mindset to my students and applying it to learning challenges. The Mathematical Practices have helped that to become more concrete in math class.
I recently watched one of my students "ace" every fact fluency problem on a quiz and then put his head down and cry because the next problem took some thinking. It wasn't so much the problem that made him cry, but the fear of failure, the fear of not even knowing where to begin. I showed him the Mathematical Practices that I have posted and asked him which one would help him get started. He chose "using math tools". He then went over to my manipulatives area and chose unifix cubes. He was able to complete the problem, demonstrate his knowledge and push past his fear of failure.
Sometimes it's just knowing where to start.

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A lot of times in math, especially during TTQ and multiple-step word problems, I pause to think about grit. How many of my students have grit, and if they don't...how can I make grit a product of my environment? I recently had a student struggling with a two-step word problem. They did not know where to start or how to use their tools to help. We paused to think about the "why and how" behind a problem and tried to visualize the scenario. We drew a picture, talked through the different aspects, and tried to relate the problem to our lives. Once we did this, the student truly started to understand what operations needed to be completed and in what order. I now see this student getting out a piece of paper to draw a picture or relate the problem to their life. I hope that as I continue to model tools, patience, and the "why and how", perseverance and grit will increase.
Shelby

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As I read this chapter, I immediately thought of TTQ and how it fits so beautifully into the GOLD model.  I have a student who has very little confidence in his ability to work on problems independently. During whole group lesson, he participates consistently, usually with the correct answers, and seems to really "get it."  I will release them to do their math centers, and before I can call my small group up to the table, he is next to me saying, "I don't get this problem."  We sit down and go over the problem, following the TTQ model; highlighting math words, identifying the question to be solved, and so forth.  He sticks with it, to his credit, and each time he is faced with an overwhelming problem, I see him work on it a little bit more independently each time.  He still comes to me often, but he has some work to show me and also has some highlighted information.  I believe as we continue to follow the GOLD model, and persevere, he will eventually be able to do this on his own.  I am very proud of him and his continued effort to work through areas where he lack confidence.
Beth

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As one of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, I believe that perseverance is a math behavior that needs to be explicitly taught. Multi-task problems and Error Analysis tasks are typically used in my classroom to engage my mathematicians in Math Talk: Showing, Explaining, and Justifying their thinking while developing their math practices. These problems build stamina and require students to use their tools/strategies through multiple attempts to solve- which is important to me, as I want my students to THINK and persevere, not just "get the right answer"! Of course, you all know that I believe TTQ is an awesome task to help students learn how to be successful problem solvers, as they are usually a "productive struggle" for our students, but with a KWSolve scaffold, they learn to take a "messy" problem and break it down conceptually BEFORE even thinking about the Math through "Notice & Wonder" !

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As one of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, I believe that perseverance is a math behavior that needs to be explicitly taught. Multi-task problems and Error Analysis tasks are typically used in my classroom to engage my mathematicians in Math Talk: Showing, Explaining, and Justifying their thinking while developing their math practices. These problems build stamina and require students to use their tools/strategies through multiple attempts to solve- which is important to me, as I want my students to THINK and persevere, not just "get the right answer"! Of course, you all know that I believe TTQ is an awesome task to help students learn how to be successful problem solvers, as they are usually a "productive struggle" for our students, but with a KWSolve scaffold, they learn to take a "messy" problem and break it down conceptually BEFORE even thinking about the Math through "Notice & Wonder" !

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-Billiejo

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One of the biggest struggles for me as an educator is to allow for wait time, not only for students to think, but to also work through. I had a student who needed a confidence boost. She was eager to raise her hand and share, but gave the incorrect answer. We worked through it, using scaffolding, to help reach the answer she wanted. She tried to "give up" but was encouraged by her peers to continue and work through the process. At the end, when she gave the correct response, her class applauded her for her work and persistency. As an educator, it makes me realize what I always preach, #QualityOverQuantity.
-Mario