Why Decorating Math Notebook Covers Is More Than Just an Icebreaker

Do your students use math notebooks? At the start of the school year, having them design a personalized cover can spark both academic and social-emotional benefits. This simple activity helps students take ownership of their learning, reflect on their mathematical identity, and begin building positive habits of mind. It also fosters creativity and a sense of connection within the classroom community.

Benefits of Decorating a Math Notebook Cover

• Builds Ownership: When students personalize their notebook, they feel a stronger sense of pride and responsibility for their math work.
  
• Supports Mathematical Identity: Adding words, images, or symbols that represent what math means to them encourages reflection on their relationship with the subject.
  
• Encourages Positive Habits of Mind: By prompting students to include growth mindset messages, or motivational words, teachers can reinforce positive habits of mind such as from the start (e.g. persevere, communicate with precision, collaborate, strategize, seek patterns, think flexibly, use tools strategically).
  
• Fosters Creativity: Starting the year with an artistic task helps ease students into math in a low-stress way, setting a positive tone.
  
• Creates Connection: Sharing completed covers with a partner or during a Gallery Walk gives students insight into one another’s perspectives, strengthening classroom community. 
  
  

Activity: My Notebook Cover

Objective: Students reflect on their mathematical identity, set positive intentions, and help establish class math norms while creating a personalized math notebook cover.

Time: 30 - 40 minutes

1. Introduce the Activity (5 mins.)
Tell students: “Our math notebooks will be where we show our thinking, try new ideas, and learn from mistakes. To make it truly yours, today you’ll decorate your cover using words and drawings that represent you as a mathematician". 

2. Guided Reflection Prompts (10 mins.)
Before decorating, guide students through a short reflection. Display or read aloud prompts such as:

• What does it mean to be a mathematician?

• How do I want to feel in math this year?

• What helps me when math feels challenging?

• What do I want our class to remember about how we work together in math?

Encourage students to jot words, phrases, or quick sketches.

3. Create Covers (15-20 mins.)
Materials: colored pencils, markers, math notebook cover templates (optional)

Ask students to include:

• their name

• at least 3 math symbols, numbers, or images

• a growth mindset or positive habit of mind (e.g. yet, persevere, explore)

• a class norm (from your co-created list)

4. Share and Connect (5 mins.)
Invite students to do a gallery walk or share with a partner. As they share, highlight:

• similarities in how they see themselves as mathematicians

• common ideas about how the class should work together

5. Anchor the Learning

• collect common themes from their covers and connect them to your class math norms chart

• reinforce the idea: “Just like your cover makes your notebook yours, our norms make this math class ours.”