Math Is Personal by Jessica Nordell

Math Is Personal by Jessica Nordell Of course. While “Math Is Personal” is not a widely known, formal academic paper, it is a powerful and influential essay by Jessica Nordell, originally published in The New York Times and later expanded upon in her acclaimed book, The End of Bias: A Beginning.

$Math Is Personal by Jessica Nordell$

The core idea of “Math Is Personal” is a radical departure from the common perception of mathematics as a purely objective, cold, and impersonal discipline. Nordell argues that our experience of math is deeply intertwined with identity, emotion, and social context, and that ignoring this fact is a primary reason many people, particularly women and people of color, develop math anxiety and are driven away from the field.

Here is a breakdown of the key arguments and concepts from the essay:

The Central Thesis: Challenging “Objectivity”

Nordell dismantles the myth of math’s pure objectivity. While the rules of mathematics are objective (2+2 will always equal 4), the human experience of learning and doing math is not. It is subjective, emotional, and deeply personal.

Key Arguments and Supporting Evidence

Math Anxiety is Socially Contagious and Identity-Based:

Nordell cites research showing that math anxiety is often passed from teacher to student, and more significantly, that it is linked to stereotype threat.
When a girl is aware of the stereotype that “girls are bad at math,” the anxiety of confirming that stereotype can actually impair her performance, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Therefore, a student’s performance isn’t just about their raw ability; it’s affected by their social identity and the environment they’re in.

The “Chilly Climate” Effect:

This isn’t necessarily about overt sexism or racism, but about subtle, often unconscious, biases that make the learning environment feel hostile or unsupportive.

The Power of a Growth Mindset:

The essay champions the work of psychologist Carol Dweck on “fixed” vs. “growth” mindsets.
A fixed mindset believes mathematical ability is an innate, unchangeable gift. If you struggle, you “just don’t have it.”
Struggle is a natural part of learning, not a sign of inherent inability.
Nordell argues that our culture often promotes a fixed mindset around math, which is profoundly damaging. Telling a child “I was never good at math either” reinforces the idea that math ability is a fixed trait you either have or you don’t.

Teaching Math as a Creative, Human Endeavor:

Traditional math instruction often presents the subject as a set of rules and procedures to be memorized. Nordell advocates for teaching that highlights the creative, puzzle-solving, and exploratory nature of math.
When students see math as a process of inquiry and discovery—much like writing or art—it becomes less intimidating and more accessible. It becomes a subject about thinking, not just about getting the right answer.

The Implications: What Can Be Done?

Math Is Personal by Jessica Nordell “Math Is Personal” is not just a diagnosis; it’s a call to action. The solutions it points to are about changing the culture of math education:
Teacher Training: Educators must be trained to recognize and counteract their own implicit biases and to create inclusive classrooms.
Promoting a Growth Mindset: Teachers and parents should praise effort and strategy, not just correct answers. They should normalize struggle as part of the learning process.
Changing the Narrative: We need to stop saying “I’m not a math person” and start presenting math as a learnable, humanistic discipline.

In the Context of Nordell’s Book, The End of Bias

The “impersonal” facade of mathematics, she argues, has hidden the very personal biases that have shaped who feels welcome in the field. The solution is not to make math less rigorous, but to make its human context more visible and equitable.

Beyond Math Anxiety: The Deeper Psychological Mechanisms

Nordell’s essay goes beyond identifying the problem; it explores the precise psychological machinery that makes math so personally fraught for so many.
Belongingness and Identity Threat: The issue isn’t just about performance on a single test. It’s a chronic question of “Do I belong here? away from the math problem and towards managing this threat—monitoring for signs of bias, suppressing negative thoughts, or trying to disprove the stereotype. This cognitive load directly impairs the working memory needed for complex problem-solving.
The “Objectivity” Smokescreen: The belief that math is purely objective often allows bias to operate unchecked. Because we think the field is meritocratic and neutral, we are more likely to attribute a student’s struggle or a colleague’s overlooked idea to their inherent lack of ability (“she just can’t do math”) rather than to the biased environment we’ve created. The “objectivity” of the subject becomes a shield for the subjectivity of the people teaching and practicing it.
The Narrative of the “Lone Genius”: Our cultural image of a mathematician is often a solitary, almost tormented genius (frequently male) who has sudden, brilliant flashes of insight. This narrative is exclusionary in two ways:
It makes people who don’t see themselves as “geniuses” feel like imposters, discouraging them from even entering the field.

The Pedagogical Shift: What Does “Personal” Math Teaching Look Like?

A classroom that takes Nordell’s arguments to heart would look fundamentally different. It’s not about lowering standards; it’s about changing the approach.
Focus on “Math Talks” and Process: Instead of rushing to the answer, teachers spend time on how students arrived at their answer.
Incorporating History and Context: Teaching math as a human invention, developed across cultures (e.g., the Arabic roots of algebra, the Mayan concept of zero). This demystifies it and makes it feel less like a set of divine commandments.
Explicitly Addressing Stereotype Threat: A teacher might say, “This is a challenging topic for everyone, and I know sometimes we hear stereotypes about who can be good at this. I want to be clear that I believe every one of you is capable of mastering this material, and we’re going to work on it together.” This simple act of naming the elephant in the room can dramatically reduce its power.
Building a “Mistake-Friendly” Culture: The classroom norms actively celebrate mistakes as opportunities for learning. A teacher might say, “Thank you for that wrong answer—it’s going to help us all understand the common pitfall here.”

$The Pedagogical Shift: What Does "Personal" Math Teaching Look Like?$

The Broader Cultural and Philosophical Implications

Math Is Personal by Jessica Nordell Epistemology (The Theory of Knowledge): Nordell’s argument challenges a positivist view of knowledge—that it exists independently of the knower.The truth of 2+2=4 is objective, but the path to understanding and believing that truth is personal.
The “Equity vs. Excellence” Fallacy: A common counter-argument to this approach is that focusing on feelings and identity “waters down” rigor. Nordell’s work, and the research she cites, argues the opposite: Equity is a prerequisite for excellence. By creating an environment where everyone can focus their full cognitive capacity on learning, without the drain of stereotype threat or a chilly climate, you unlock the true potential of a much wider and more diverse talent pool. You aren’t lowering the bar; you are removing barriers so more people can reach it.

Connection to The End of Bias

In her book, Nordell investigates the science of ending bias across many fields—from police departments to medicine. The math chapter is a perfect microcosm of her book’s central thesis:

Bias is a System, Not Just an Attitude: The bias in math isn’t just a collection of sexist or racist teachers. It’s a system that includes cultural stereotypes, pedagogical traditions, the myths of objectivity and genius, and the lack of diverse role models.
Effective Solutions are Measurable and Structural: Just as she profiles police departments using specific protocols to reduce lethal force, the solutions in math are structural: changing classroom norms, implementing specific psychological interventions (like values-affirmation exercises), and altering curriculum and teacher training.
Change is Possible: The message of both the essay and the book is profoundly hopeful. Bias is not a fixed, intractable human flaw. It is a malleable phenomenon, and with deliberate, evidence-based effort, we can create environments where it withers and true potential can flourish.