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As soon as T. sees his daily dose of math practice, he responds with whining, moaning, complaining, refusing, and avoiding.
"I can't. It's impossible. I will never be able to do it. It's too hard," he spins his excuses.
"You know your basic facts. You can do three digit addition. Use what you know and you can do four and five digit addition. Give it a try," I pat him on his back and leave him with the task.
T. fiddles with his pencil, rotates the math journal, swings with a chair, takes his shoes off, checks out the ceiling and the floor and everyone else in the room. When the time is up, he hasn't even attempted to solve a single problem.
Fortunately I have the freedom to adjust our schedule and I plan some independent study time to the end of the day. When the independent study starts, the students choose to write, create inquiry posters, practice math or read. T. tries to seat himself on the couch with a book, when I remind him of the morning math.
His face and sigh make it sound as if I was trying to use medieval torture tools with him.
"I know you can do it. I promise it won't you take even five minutes to finish the problems. I will be next to you in case you need help," I leave him no option but to bring a pencil and open the journal.
He writes the first computation and with guiding questions he finishes it. The next three he talks through and writes himself. He finishes in no time.
"It went fast. It was really easy," T declares.
I told you so!
"I hope you feel good," I smile.
T. nods and smiles back.
Don't you just love when students prove that they can do what you knew they could all along?
ReplyDeleteIt's taking that first step that is sooo hard. I love how you brought it back to how he feels about himself once the task was completed.
ReplyDeleteI have seen his stall tactics many times. And if they would just try...sigh.
ReplyDeleteYou stuck with him and tried everything - that's the heart of teaching, isn't it, Terje?
ReplyDeleteI think every teacher knows what this is like! In Venezuela their excuses usually start with, "But Miss....!" I love that feeling I get when kids can finally realize how capable they really are.
ReplyDelete-Amanda at http://teachingwanderlust.com/2015/03/17/missing-school-sol17/
We were in the classroom with you through your story. Thanks for letting us in.
ReplyDeleteAll that extra energy wasted! So many times we want to say that "I told you so" but ... bravo for reminding him how that feels to accomplish something he thought was too hard!
ReplyDeleteWhat a difference when we believe in our students!
ReplyDelete