Math Language Routine 1: Building Confidence

Speaker 1: Building confidence isn’t just a general goal educators have for students. It’s also a specific routine that helps them develop metacognitive awareness and skills. 

First, after students produce a solution or share a mathematical idea, ask them to evaluate their confidence level. This could be a rating from 1 to 10, or something like low, medium, or high.

Then, have students describe what would make them feel more confident in their mathematical idea, either verbally or in writing. If they aren’t sure how to increase their confidence, suggest things like asking a question, drawing a picture, clarifying vocabulary, or checking their answer.

Remember, correctness and confidence don’t always go together, but we want students to develop their self-awareness and build confidence when they do have solid mathematical thinking. This routine can help strengthen students’ ideas and also empower them to ask for the support they need. 

Go ahead and give building confidence a try!