Ick
I gave my students a math test. They all did miserably. It was sad and dissappointing, but what can you expect with the worst math text in the world. I actually met a supporter of the textbook one day. He said he loved it, it was great, but it was poorly written and you need at least 3 days for each lesson. How is this a good book? Poorly written and doesn't fit into the time frame we are using. Ah hem. Anyway, lucky for the students I have, they have me. I crammed in what they didn't learn in previous years or from using the book this year into just about one day. I expect the average on the test to go up by 30%. This is effing ridiculous. I am wondering if I should do what I did today for the rest of the year. I certainly could get everything done that way plus more. They would be well set up kids. I also appointed student math tutors for every section who got perfect on the test and knew what was going on and gave them answer keys. The students doing the work had to raise their hand after every question and get it marked before they moved on. If they didn't get it right, the student math tutor had to help them figure out what they did wrong and how they should fix it. Once they were finished the sheet, they became a math tutor and used their sheet as an answer sheet. I had to help a few students with some more abstract concepts, but I was able to because it all ran like clock work around me. It did get a little noisy, but the students are more confident in themselves. The math tutors are for sure, and the people who got their math corrected each time are too. This is a major part of the JUMP math program and why I am such a believer in it. Why make the same mistake over and over again? Get it corrected right away and get re-direction about how to do it right. The kids were fighting over who got to be a math tutor. I told them why I picked the original ones, and how to get to be one, they had to finish their work quickly. They flew through it for the chance to help other people and be considered smart. For me it is good because I can focus on the students that really need some conceptual help.
I had a few students say to me over the course of this year too that I am the best math teacher that they have ever had. That is very satisfying to me, that they acknowledge my greatness. Ha ha! Just kidding. It is satisfying because they are progressing and that is why they feel I am good, because they are getting it. I have also had that experience at the jail, where I have progressed kids by a couple grade levels in a few lessons. They are amazed and their confidence goes way up. They tell me it is me, but I tell them I couldn't do it unless they could. I also frequently say, in the jail only because all their previous teachers are still at the school, that everyone can do math and if you have problems with it, it is because you have had bad math teachers and it isn't your fault. It is my job to figure out how to help you and if I am doing my job, you will do well. I tell them they will be able to do math if they work with me, no matter what they say, and so far I have been right.
People are innately born with the ability to do math. Other people put blocks in the way of it.
I had a few students say to me over the course of this year too that I am the best math teacher that they have ever had. That is very satisfying to me, that they acknowledge my greatness. Ha ha! Just kidding. It is satisfying because they are progressing and that is why they feel I am good, because they are getting it. I have also had that experience at the jail, where I have progressed kids by a couple grade levels in a few lessons. They are amazed and their confidence goes way up. They tell me it is me, but I tell them I couldn't do it unless they could. I also frequently say, in the jail only because all their previous teachers are still at the school, that everyone can do math and if you have problems with it, it is because you have had bad math teachers and it isn't your fault. It is my job to figure out how to help you and if I am doing my job, you will do well. I tell them they will be able to do math if they work with me, no matter what they say, and so far I have been right.
People are innately born with the ability to do math. Other people put blocks in the way of it.
posted by Muss at 5:13 pm
2 Comments:
I've had days like that. And I love that part of JUMP. Kids love getting every question checked immediately. That's how we teach sport isn't it? "Try a shot. Nice, now bend your wrist just a bit. Nice. Now you may want to keep your head down. Nice. Feet apart. Good one. Use your shoulders. Excellent."
Sometimes behaviour gets in my way when I try to utilize the early finishers. There's a lot of copying and peeking when five or six answer keys are running around the room. So that doesn't always work for me. But the same things don't work everywhere. But you are right. Something will work for anyone.
I am lucky that almost all the people in my class who were math teachers were quite adamant about the people not finished not seeing the answers and cheating. They don't like cheaters, so the kids don't try to cheat and the markers don't let them.
Post a Comment
<< Home