Opinion
Student Well-Being Letter to the Editor

Teach Executive Function

February 11, 2020 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

I enjoyed the article about math anxiety (“The Myth Fueling Math Anxiety,” Big Ideas special report, Jan. 8, 2020). As a neuroscientist who specializes in how the core skills of executive function promote rigorous math learning, it is particularly gratifying to see EdWeek cover this topic.

In the last paragraph, the article says, “There aren’t ‘math people’ and ‘non-math people,’ only those who work through the challenging lesson and those who surrender too soon.” The ability to do this is a great example of executive function at work.

Executive functions are like the air traffic control system of the mind: They give us agency over our thoughts, attention, emotions, and behavior. They allow us to control our learning and our lives, and maybe even supercharge math learning. Every student is a powerful learner. In fact, we don’t need to teach students to learn. They’re wired for it.

Inside each student lies the foundations to learn and master anything. But somehow this message isn’t taught to young learners, particularly in math for girls, students of color, and students from low-income communities. The world bombards them with subtle (and not-so-subtle) messages about what society thinks they aren’t capable of achieving. This can hijack their executive functions and leave them less available to learn math, which can start a negative spiral that may become internalized as a part of their identity, and shape who they believe they are.

Every child should know their innate abilities, to know how to use them to take control of their learning, and to have every opportunity to learn anything, including rigorous math. Why? Because all students have powerful minds that deserve to be challenged and given opportunities to learn rigorous math. And because success in math is critical to many factors for success in young adulthood.

Melina Uncapher

Neuroscience Professor

University of California, San Francisco

EF+Math Program Director

NewSchools Venture Fund

Oakland, Calif.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the February 12, 2020 edition of Education Week as Teach Executive Function

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being Netflix's 'Adolescence' Sparks Debate Over Sex Education in Schools
Sex education, generally ill-equipped to handle subject matter to which teens are exposed, is getting further squeezed.
6 min read
052025 abstinence sex education computer access 476732252
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being What Schools Can Do About Climate Change Right Now
A new report details how schools can adapt for climate change in both small and big ways.
7 min read
Ceiba Phillips, an 11-year-old Eaton Fire evacuee, visits his school gutted by the fire in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025.
Ceiba Phillips, an 11-year-old Eaton Fire evacuee, visits his school gutted by the fire in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. A new report from EdTrust outlines how schools can adapt for climate change, from incorporating the concept into the curriculum, tending to students' climate anxiety, and making climate-resilient facility upgrades.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Student Well-Being Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ Sounds an Alarm on Troubled Teens. What Can Teachers Do?
The popular Netflix series "Adolescence" raises questions about what schools can do for troubled teens.
6 min read
Illustration of a depressive boy that is sitting and thinking on a window at night (dark blue background)
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being 4 Ways Schools Can Ease Student Anxiety During Trump's Immigration Crackdown
Changes in the federal immigration enforcement landscape can cause increased anxiety among all students
4 min read
Illustration of a large hand holding an umbrella over a person of color who is sitting with her head in her hands.
iStock/Getty