Why Math Identity Matters with Liesl McConchie

Today’s guest is Liesl McConchie. This is a little bit longer of an episode for two reasons. One, I couldn’t stop asking questions and making connections to my own evolution of teaching math and two, Liesl is simply amazing. She is a teacher, author, mom, international speaker, and who we should all be reading and listening to if we are thinking we need to transform the way we think about the teaching and learning of mathematics. If you need to, listen in sections, because this entire interview is well worth your time. If you are looking for people to learn from regarding brain research and mathematics, Liesl is who you should be learning from. While you may hear from people in the world who believe math is just about right answers and all you need to do is follow directions to find those right answers, Liesl will help you understand why math identity matters. If you find yourself questioning why one quote she says that really stands out is, “A student's emotional relationship with math is foundational to their cognitive relationship with math. You just can’t argue with that, folks.So sit back and relax. But maybe put your finger on the rewind button, because I promise, there are going to be things you hear that you want to make sure you heard just right.Places to find Liesl:https://lieslmcconchie.com/Building a Positive Math Identity: A Brain Science ApproachBrain-Based Learning: Teaching the Way Students Really Learn