Once upon a time, there was a young student named Anna who struggled with mathematics. Despite her best efforts, she found herself falling behind in her class and becoming more and more frustrated with each passing day.
One day, Anna met a wise old mathematician who saw the despair in her eyes and took her under his wing. He knew that Anna had the potential to excel in mathematics, but she needed to change her mindset first.
“Mathematics is not just about memorizing formulas and rules,” the old mathematician said. “It’s about seeing the beauty and patterns in numbers and using your creativity to solve problems.”
Anna was skeptical at first, but the old mathematician began to teach her in a way that was different from anything she had experienced before. He encouraged her to ask questions, to explore different methods of solving problems, and to make mistakes.
At first, Anna was afraid of making mistakes, but the old mathematician told her that mistakes were a natural part of the learning process. “Every time you make a mistake, you have the opportunity to learn something new,” he said.
With each passing day, Anna began to see mathematics in a new light. She started to appreciate the patterns and logic behind the numbers and found herself enjoying the process of problem-solving.
As Anna’s confidence grew, so did her grades. She went from struggling to keeping up with her class to being one of the top students in the school. But more than that, she had found a love for mathematics that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
Years later, Anna returned to the old mathematician and thanked him for changing her life. “I never knew that mathematics could be so beautiful,” she said. “You taught me not just how to solve equations, but how to approach life with a growth mindset. I will always be grateful for that.”
And so, Anna went on to achieve great things in her life, but she never forgot the lesson she learned from the wise old mathematician. That the right mindset for learning mathematics, or anything else in life, is to embrace mistakes, to see the beauty in the process, and to never stop asking questions.
THE RIGHT MINDSET by Mr. Segun Oladele