One of the biggest frustrations in teaching problem solving is seeing students give up when answers don’t come easily. Heads drop, pencils stop moving, and we hear the all-too-familiar “This is too hard.” Yet perseverance, the ability to stick with a challenge even when it gets tough, is a cornerstone of effective problem solving. It’s especially vital when students are faced with complex, multi-step tasks that require more than surface-level thinking.
So, why do students give up so quickly?
There are many reasons:
- Lack of problem-solving strategies: Some students simply haven’t developed the skills they need to approach challenging problems.
- Math anxiety: For others, anxiety takes over, making it difficult to think clearly or take risks.
- Unfamiliarity with perseverance: Students may not know what it means to persevere or how to push through confusion and setbacks.
- Limited exposure to rich problems: If students haven’t practiced with multi-step or open-ended problems, they’re less likely to persist when faced with one.
- Focus on right answers over process: If students believe we only value correct answers, they may feel defeated before they even start.
Each of these factors can impact a student’s willingness to persevere. Fortunately, we can build both the skills and the mindset needed for perseverance through the tasks we choose, the strategies we teach, and the classroom culture we create.
How Can We Nurture Perseverance?
Strengthen Problem-Solving Skills
Students are more likely to stick with a problem when they have the skills to engage with it. We can help them:
- Understand and visualize the problem
- Select appropriate operations or strategies
- Use tools like bar diagrams or number lines to explore the problem
- Know when and how to apply computational skills
Make sure problems are challenging enough to promote learning, but not so difficult they cause frustration. Aim for productive struggle, not shutdown.
Build a Positive Problem-Solving Disposition
Create a classroom environment where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes.
Key ideas to reinforce:
- Mistakes are part of learning.
- Math isn’t a race, thoughtful work takes time.
- Wrong answers can lead to deeper understanding.
- Collaboration brings new insights.
To reduce anxiety:
- Emphasize process over correct answers.
- Encourage partner or group problem-solving.
- Debrief after tasks to reflect and normalize struggle.
- Use “turn and talk” instead of calling on raised hands.
- Take class “timeouts” to reset when stress builds.
- Acknowledge when problems are complex, using think-alouds to model your own struggle.
- Scaffold and differentiate problems to meet learners where they are.
Provide Regular Practice with Rich Problems
Students need consistent experience with problems that require perseverance:
- Two-step and multi-step problems
- Problems with multiple solutions or strategies
- Open-ended tasks
Start small and build: Move from one-step to more complex, layered problems, scaffolding as needed to help students build confidence and stamina.
Discuss Perseverance with Students
Don’t assume students know how to persevere.
- Talk about what perseverance looks and feels like.
- Let students define it in their own words, using examples.
- Brainstorm and model ways to get “unstuck” during problem-solving.
Ideas for Getting Unstuck:
- Retell the problem
- Visualize it
- Draw a picture or diagram
- Act it out
- Talk it over with someone
- Think of a similar problem you’ve solved before
Create classroom anchor charts with these strategies and refer to them during problem-solving tasks.
Praise the Process, Not Just the Product
Shift the focus of praise from correct answers to effort, thinking, and persistence. Be specific in your praise:
- “I noticed how you stuck with it, even when it got tricky.”
- “You tried three different strategies—that shows real perseverance.”
- “You didn’t give up when your first approach didn’t work. That’s the mindset of a mathematician.”
Final Thoughts
Perseverance doesn’t develop overnight. But with intentional support, structured practice, and a positive classroom culture, students can learn to embrace the challenge of problem solving. Our role is to provide the tools, create the conditions, and celebrate the efforts that lead to deep and lasting mathematical learning.
