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Have you ever been so convinced you were bad at something that you didn’t even question it anymore? Not just as an insecurity, but like it was your full identity: “I’m not a math person.” End of conversation.

Well, this episode is about what happens when that story gets completely rewritten.

Sue Besant was a directionless student who was literally & repeatedly told that she would amount to nothing, and math was ground zero for this crushing message.

But one day a new teacher walked into her math class - none other than Jo Boaler. Yes, before teaching at Stanford & writing bestsellers about growth mindset and neuroplasticity, Jo Boaler had her first day in class too!

Jo gave Sue and her classmates something they'd never had before - a teacher who believed in them and told them so. The rest of the story spans decades and time zones, so join Vanessa today as Sue shares how finally learning math gave her the confidence to believe that she was capable of anything she dreamed of.

Related episode:

• Jo Boaler on Math Therapy: Embracing your limitless mind (2023)

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