As a math interventionist I met hundreds of students who had already decided they were ‘bad at math.’ Almost none of them were. What they needed was a smaller entry point and an adult who believed the door would open.

Find the last place it made sense. Back up until the student is confident, then move forward one step at a time. Reteaching at grade level rarely works if the foundation is missing.

Shorten the task, not the thinking. Five problems with a conversation beat twenty problems in silence.

Name the growth out loud. Specific praise — ‘you used the strategy from Monday’ — tells a student exactly what to repeat.

Loop in the family early. A short, warm note home before there’s a problem makes every later conversation easier.