What We Say Matters, Part 1: The Language of Expectations

Math teachers care deeply about equity. We plan carefully, select meaningful tasks, and work hard to build classrooms where students feel safe to try. And yet, some of the most powerful messages students receive about who they are as mathematicians don’t come from our curriculum or assessments but from our everyday language.

The words we use, often unintentionally, shape students’ beliefs about their own ability, their belonging in math class, and what “counts” as mathematical success. Over time, these messages accumulate. They influence who speaks up, who takes risks, and who quietly decides, “Math just isn’t for me.”

This series of articles focuses on a simple but powerful idea: what we say matters. By becoming more intentional about our language, we can communicate high expectations, affirm student potential, and support equitable participation without adding more to our already full plates.

Subtle Messages, Big Impact

Consider the difference between these two statements:

“This one is easy.”
“This one is accessible, and there are lots of ways to think about it.”

Both are often said with good intentions. The first is usually meant to reassure students. But for a student who doesn’t immediately see a path forward, “This one is easy” can land as “Everyone else should get this. Why don’t I?”

The second statement sends a different message. It communicates that the task is designed for entry, that struggle is okay, and that multiple strategies are welcome. It positions the task - not the student - as the thing that varies in difficulty.

Research on mindset supports this distinction. Carol Dweck’s work shows that students are highly attuned to cues about ability, especially ones that suggest math success is about being “quick” or “naturally good.” Even subtle language can reinforce a fixed mindset if we’re not careful.

Our goal isn’t to script every sentence we say, but to become aware of the patterns in our language and the messages those patterns send.

From Deficit Language to Strengths-Based Language

Deficit language focuses on what students lack: gaps, weaknesses, misunderstandings. Strengths-based language focuses on what students bring: partial ideas, strategies, questions, and ways of reasoning.

Here are a few common shifts that can make a big difference:

Instead of...	Try...
“You’re behind.”	“You’re building on ideas you already have.”
“You should know this by now.”	“Let’s connect this to what you’ve already seen.”
“That’s not right.”	“Tell me more about how you were thinking.”
“This is basic.”	“This idea is foundational, and it will support what comes next.”
“Who remembers how to do this?”	“Who has a way to start thinking about this?”

Notice that these shifts don’t lower expectations. In fact, they often raise them. Strengths-based language assumes that students are capable of reasoning, making sense, and growing, and that their current understanding is often incomplete.

This aligns closely with NCTM’s Mathematics Teaching Practices, particularly the emphasis on:

Eliciting and using evidence of student thinking
Supporting productive struggle
Creating opportunities for meaningful discourse

Language is the bridge between these practices and students’ lived experience of math class.

Practical Sentence Starters That Affirm Student Potential

One of the most helpful ways to shift our language is to develop a small set of go-to phrases that communicate high expectations and belief in students’ capacity. Below are sentence starters teachers have found useful in everyday moments.

When launching a task

“This task is designed so everyone can get started.”
“You don’t need to finish to have something valuable to share.”
“There are multiple ways to approach this so please choose one that makes sense to you.”

When students are stuck

“What do you understand so far?”
“What’s one thing you’ve tried?”
“Let’s look for a starting point, not a solution.”

When students make mistakes

“This helps us see how you’re thinking.”
“That idea could be useful in another context.”
“Mistakes are part of how we refine our thinking.”

When elevating student thinking

“Can you say more about why that works?”
“Who can build on that idea?”
“How is this strategy similar to or different from the last one we saw?”

When closing a lesson

“What new idea did you wrestle with today?”
“What strategy felt most powerful to you?”
“How did your thinking change?”

None of these require more time or different content. They simply shift the focus from speed and correctness to reasoning and growth.

Expectations Are Communicated Constantly

Students don’t just listen to what we say - they interpret what it means about them.

►Who do we call on when the question is challenging?
►Whose ideas get recorded publicly?
►How do we respond when a student is unsure?

These moments communicate expectations just as loudly as our words.

When we consistently ask certain students to explain, we send the message that we expect them to think deeply. When we wait patiently instead of rescuing quickly, we signal that struggle is normal and worthwhile. When we press for reasoning from all students and not just the ones who raise their hands, we communicate that everyone’s thinking matters.

Equity lives in these small, repeated interactions.

Building Awareness Through Reflection

Because so much of teacher talk is automatic, one of the most powerful steps we can take is simply to notice it.

A few practical reflection strategies:

►Audio record a class period (even 10–15 minutes) and listen later.
►Transcribe a short segment where you launch a task or respond to student thinking.
►Highlight phrases, both positive and limiting, that communicate expectations.
►Ask yourself:

Who did I position as capable?
Where did I emphasize speed, ease, or correctness?
Where did I invite reasoning, sense-making, or multiple approaches?

This kind of reflection isn’t about self-criticism. It’s about awareness. Most teachers are surprised by what they notice because awareness creates choice.

You don’t need to change everything at once. Try choosing one phrase to replace or one moment to be more intentional this week.

Why This Matters for Equity

Equity in math education is not only about access to courses, curricula, or instructional time (though all of those matter!). It’s also about the daily messages students receive about who math is for.

Over time, subtle patterns in language accumulate. When students regularly hear that math should be “easy,” that correct answers matter more than reasoning, or that speed signals competence, many begin to internalize a quiet conclusion: Math belongs to some people, but not to me. These messages often fall hardest on students who have historically been marginalized in mathematics spaces.

The opposite is also true. When teachers consistently use language that values thinking, invites multiple approaches, and frames struggle as part of learning, more students stay engaged. More students take risks. And more students begin to see themselves as capable of doing mathematics even when the work is challenging.

In the next article in this series, “When Students Say ‘I’m Just Not a Math Person,’” we’ll explore where that belief comes from, how classroom experiences and teacher messages contribute to it, and what we can do, both practically and intentionally, to interrupt it. The language we use today lays the groundwork for the identities students carry tomorrow.

Pete Grostic, Ph.D

Executive Director

Please join Math Medic Foundation in our mission to improve math outcomes for all. You can contact us to get involved or donate here.

References

Dweck, C. S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All.

02/02/2026