Math and Other Things Why Math Identity Matters with Liesl McConchie
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Dec 5, 2025 Liesl McConchie, teacher, author, and researcher who translates brain science for educators, talks about why math identity matters. She explores how emotions shape learning, the neuroscience behind curiosity and neuroplasticity, classroom and cultural influences on math self-image, and practical shifts teachers and leaders can make to change how students relate to math.
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From Bedroom Chalkboard To Relearning Math
- Liesl began 'teaching' as a toddler with a chalkboard and a grade book, predicting she'd be a math teacher.
- She started real teaching at age 20 and later relearned math by teaching kindergarten and first grade.
Math Identity Shapes Learning
- Math identity is how a person sees themselves in relation to mathematics and shapes classroom behavior.
- Liesl McConchie explains identity forms in the prefrontal cortex and directly impacts learning capacity.
Emotion Directly Affects Cognition
- Emotions and cognition are inseparable during learning; negative feelings can shut down learning centers.
- Liesl highlights the amygdala's power to block prefrontal learning when students feel fear or anxiety.
