Maths anxiety: Our topic in September

Dear reader
Our research for the September dossier began with a simple question: «Why do so many children experience maths as difficult or are afraid of the school subject, even though we come into contact with arithmetic at an early age? Even babies realise this: Three blocks take up more space than two.»

That was nine months ago. «The relationships are complex,» our author Sarah King reported back after delving deep into the subject, «but they are fascinating.» Whether a child likes maths or not depends on the relationship with the teacher. With the form of teaching. With the experience of learning maths. To name just a few reasons.
And a lot depends on your attitude, dear parents and teachers. Studies show that mothers, fathers and teachers contribute to negative attitudes towards maths if they themselves had or still have such attitudes.
How do children discover an interest in maths? Our dossier also provides answers to this question: Maths didactician Peter Geering is convinced that the everyday approach is important: «Learning through active discovery helps to make the abstract world of numbers comprehensible.»

By the way, I don't want to withhold the tip from 8-year-old Lian from the Bernese Seeland: «Practise. Learn the rows. If you can do them well, the joy of maths comes naturally.»

You can find all the articles in our dossier «Maths as a subject of fear» here.

«You don't learn maths, you just get used to it.»

Paul Erdös (1913 1996), Hungarian mathematician

Did you know that there is a statistical correlation between professional success and professional satisfaction? It's actually logical: someone who is regularly appreciated and promoted likes their job more than someone who has to put up with disappointments and defeats. On the other hand, according to Austrian psychologist and author Aljoscha Neubauer («Mach, was du kannst»), the statistical correlation between happiness and success is not very strong: "You can love your job even if you are not the best in your department.

With our special issue «What do I want to be?», which is enclosed with this issue, we take you, dear school leavers and parents, on an adventurous and sometimes exhausting journey called career choice. We have compiled a wealth of information and tips for you, explored how the job search has changed during the pandemic and introduced you to 23 professions of the future. Fancy an example? What happens to a person's digital legacy on their social networks after they die? This is where the web undertaker comes in. She not only takes care of the deceased person's digital legacy, but also - on special request - organises a dignified deletion ceremony. Sounds scary? Would you rather be a hairdresser or plumber? Either way, dear apprenticeship seekers, don't let yourself be rushed. Find out more, have a taster and follow your talents. Incidentally, according to psychologist John Krumboltz from Standford University, most successful careers are the result of lucky coincidences, unplanned encounters - and pure luck.

Yours sincerely,
Yours, Nik Niethammer