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Giving up on math in middle school…

Sandra was attending the Convent of the Sacred Heart, and she told me that she had given up on math completely before finally deciding to meet with me. Obviously, she was not as terrible a math student as she believed; but she was at that age where young girls begin to shy away from math and the sciences, yielding to the unfortunate stereotypes about women in these fields. It is heartbreaking to hear girls in grades 6th to 8th saying that they “suck at math” and they “will never get it.” This is the time to get them support and a role model to guide them through their transition into Algebra. The task becomes increasingly harder as time passes, and young girls find more reasons to legitimize their giving up. Sandra said, “Before working with Ender, I never expected to get a grade I would be happy with on my math tests or in class. Now and ever since, however, I am confident in my math skills and expect only the best grades.” This is the same Sandra who was on the verge of giving up in the 6th grade. The privacy and focus of our one-on-one sessions changed her vision entirely. Her biggest achievement was learning to “…feel comfortable admitting that I didn’t understand something or asking what I thought might be a ‘stupid’ question.” Sandra and her family later expressed how much they appreciated my patience and my “willingness and readiness to explain it 3 or 4 times if I had to.” It was extremely gratifying for me to be able to connect with Sandra and to be a part of her early transformation. Later we also met for SAT prep and we still keep in touch as she is enjoying her college years.