4 Teachers Share Tips to Build Middle School Math Confidence
"I’m not a math person.”
“I just don’t ‘get’ math.”
We’ve all heard students say some version of these statements. Perhaps we’ve even said them ourselves. Yet, we know that any student can be a capable math learner when they understand what’s possible. With a dedicated teacher on their side, kids can learn anything.
For this piece, we asked a few of Edmentum’s middle school math teachers—each of whom has years of experience teaching both in traditional and online settings—to share their insights for helping students build confidence and develop their math skills.
How our teachers help all students see themselves as capable math learners
Heather Lane is in her fourth year with Edmentum and currently teaches middle school math. Prior to joining Edmentum, she spent over 10 years teaching middle school math in-person. She also spent time as an elementary math teacher, but her true passion is in the middle grades.
How Heather helps students understand they are capable of learning math:
"No matter a student's background or skill level, my goal is to make math accessible and approachable. I break concepts down into clear, manageable steps, ensuring they can be easily followed. By identifying and filling in any gaps in understanding, I help students build confidence to tackle problems independently.”
Bill Phare is a math educator with 18 years of teaching experience, including being with Edmentum since 2018. He holds a BS in Mathematics from the University of Colorado - Denver and a M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Digital Teaching and Learning. Bill has taught students from young elementary through AP courses, designing engaging, standards-based lessons that foster conceptual understanding and confidence.
How Bill helps students understand they are capable of learning math:
“I foster an environment built on growth mindset, clear communication, and personalized support. I strive to create a supportive environment where mistakes are part of learning, and I use clear, consistent pedagogy along with multiple instructional strategies to build understanding of mathematical concepts. My goal is to build confidence and curiosity, helping students internalize the belief that they can succeed in mathematics with persistence and support.”
Jackie Varner been teaching math for eight years, with three years in a brick-and-mortar classroom and five years as a virtual math teacher. Jackie's passion lies in making math accessible and meaningful for all learners, helping them build confidence and achieve success. She strives to change the narrative that "math is hard" by breaking down concepts in a way that makes sense to students, showing them that math is not only understandable but also enjoyable.
How Jackie helps students understand they are capable of learning math:
“I help all students understand that they are capable math learners by fostering a growth mindset and creating a supportive learning environment. I remind my students that mistakes are part of the learning process; if they don’t know an answer, it’s okay because we will review the questions together as a class. Sometimes during practice problems, I pair students so they can collaborate, discuss their thinking, and learn from each other. By celebrating progress, providing meaningful feedback, and setting high expectations with support, I help build my students' confidence in their ability to succeed in math.”
Ashleigh O’Neill has been an educator for more than 20 years as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, mathematics specialist and administrator.
How Ashleigh helps students understand they are capable of learning math:
“It's important for students to believe that they can be successful in their math courses. Sometimes, students have self-limiting beliefs that make it difficult for them to find success. Working with students individually and allowing them to see their own strengths often helps restore a student's confidence.”
Favorite strategies to help middle school students develop their math skills
Jackie Varner: Using visual models, concrete manipulatives, and real-world scenarios
One effective strategy for helping middle school students develop their math skills is using visual models to teach fraction operations, particularly in grades 6 and 7. Fractions are often an intimidating concept for students because they involve multiple rules for different operations, making it easy to feel overwhelmed. Many students struggle with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions because they rely solely on memorized procedures without truly understanding the concepts behind them. By incorporating visual aids such as fraction bars, number lines, and area models, students can better grasp how fractions relate to one another, making these operations more intuitive.
In 7th grade, solving equations is a critical skill that helps students build a strong algebraic foundation. At this stage, students transition from basic arithmetic to understanding variables, inverse operations, and balancing equations. Many struggle because they see equations as abstract rather than logical steps that maintain balance. A helpful strategy is using concrete models, such as online algebra tiles or a balance scale analogy, to show that whatever is done to one side of the equation must also be done to the other. These hands-on approaches help students visualize the process and develop confidence in solving equations independently.
In 8th grade, developing a strong understanding of slope and rate of change is essential. Many students struggle with slope because they see it as just a formula rather than a concept that describes real-life relationships. To make it more meaningful, I use real-world applications and visual representations. I relate slope to familiar scenarios, such as the steepness of a ramp, speed in miles per hour, or the cost per item when shopping. By connecting slope to real-life experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of how rates of change apply beyond the classroom.
By using visual models, concrete manipulatives, and real-world connections, students develop a stronger conceptual foundation, making math more engaging and accessible. These strategies help students gain confidence, improve problem-solving skills, and prepare them for more advanced math courses.
Ashleigh O’Neill: Making content manageable and relatable
Middle school students often need to have the work broken into smaller chunks so the content doesn't feel overwhelming. The content also needs to feel relatable—if it doesn't feel like it connects to the student's real-life experiences, it's harder for them to make the leap from abstract to concrete concepts.
Bill Phare: Interactive tools and collaborative activities
In an online setting, I use interactive tools like Desmos and virtual manipulatives to help 6th and 7th graders grasp concepts like ratios, proportions, and fraction operations. These visual platforms keep students engaged and make abstract ideas more concrete.
For 8th grade, I use GeoGebra and coordinate plane tasks to teach the Pythagorean Theorem. Students explore right triangles, calculate distances, and visually confirm the theorem in real time. I also try to use collaborative activities, like breakout rooms, to encourage peer discussion and strengthen conceptual understanding.
Heather Lane describes a time her student made a major math breakthrough
I had a student that was really struggling in math. His mom reached out and asked if I would meet with him on Zoom (at the time, he felt so lost that he was uncomfortable asking for help). We set up a call and I spent some time getting to know him better.
We had some common interests, so we talked about them a little bit and then transitioned to the math assignments. He was overwhelmed. The math was just not making sense to him. He struggled with the terminology, so I rephrased some of the procedures to put them in simpler terms. Then, I asked some of the questions on an assignment and he was able to do them! That was a big boost to his confidence.
The student and I met throughout the semester working through any difficulties that came up. Occasionally, it was a skill that needed to be sharpened, but most of the time he just needed to talk over the math and have it phrased in a way that made sense to him. I had the student again the following year, and he sailed through with confidence and great success! We only met 1-on-1 once that year, at the end...he wanted to tell me thank you.
Visit our Math Success Toolkit for videos, articles, and other resources to support students' math learning. Or, visit our virtual learning page to learn about scalable, human-centered, pedagogically sound virtual instruction to help you address teacher shortages, increase capacity, and expand options in your district.