When Teaching gets Frustrating...

Have you ever been standing at your dry erase board waiting for the class to give the answer to your math question? Waiting, in the intolerable silence; begging them by rehearsing the question in different ways almost literally giving away the answer. Not even your usual 'quick arm shooters' have their hands raised. You feel your blood boiling and you're moments away from giving up.

Later, in your small group you are asking students to decompose a number and the 5 students are sitting with linking cubes in front of them yet starring at you like a deer caught in headlights. Finally, you scream, in frustration, "COME ON GUYS, DE.COMP.OSE THIS NUMBER!!!!!!!!", as if that will somehow provoke them to spew out the right answer.

Yes, teaching (imparting knowledge into someone's brain) can be difficult and even frustrating. But when you're facilitating learning, the process is a bit more meticulous. Let's explore the process:

Let's say you ask your students to explain to you how they can mentally add $19 + $28.

1. First let's analyze the question I presented. I didn't start the lesson by telling them that we would learn how to add these two numbers. Rather I had them explain to me what they THINK they could do to add these two numbers without pencil and paper.

My objective (later) is to teach them the algorithm, but not without asking them to draw on their prior knowledge (hopefully of base ten and/or decomposing numbers, making ten, counting on, etc.). The idea is that I want them to explore the various strategies they may already be aware of.

2. After hearing their explanations (and hopefully you gave them opportunity to discuss with a partner or table of students so they can draw on the thinking of other students), you want them to share out. This allows you, THE FACILITATOR, to both correct their thinking and informally assess where they are.

If this step isn't taken seriously and intentionally planned, frustration can easily enter. You must KEEP CALM and allow various incorrect approaches!

3. Most importantly, you must be prepared for these incorrect approaches (answers). They must be premeditated. In other words, you should know all the responses that will be given and be ready for them. Yes, especially the incorrect ones!

So really, step 3 is pre-step 1! When you're lesson planning, you must think of how you will handle the responses-what intervention will be needed? You must think through how you will group your students based on their responses.

This step involves intervention planning (intervening when strategies aren't working).

A. If the students started at one and counted to nineteen then added 28 more...DON'T FUSS!!! This simply tells you that the students struggle with COUNTING ON and REASONING.

B. If the students counted on from 19...CELEBRATE THEM! That wasn't the best strategy but at

least you know they can SEQUENCE and COUNT ON! Their next step then is to help them apply UNITIZING and CONSERVATION of numbers.

C. If the students are able to decompose the 19 into 1 ten and 9 ones ...then decompose the 28 into 2 tens and 8 ones for a combination of 3 tens and 17 ones--well they are in a different and more advanced place! They may not know how to regroup the 17 ones but at least they understand DECOMPOSING!

*There are other answers that you could expect, such as:

MAKE TEN STRATEGY

Taking a "one" from the 28 and adding it to the 19 to make 20 (this is called the MAKE TEN strategy). This would restructure the problem to 20 + 27. Regrouping, then wouldn't be necessary.

The idea is to cut down on frustration on your part, by understanding the various places your students can and may be in their level of development. This can occur by reading articles on Numerical Development such as Subitizing by Douglas Clemens, 1999. You may also check out Teaching Student Centered Math by John Van de Walle.

Be prepared to take them to the NEXT level in their cognitive development.

"The best defense is a good offense!"

"Be proactive, rather than reactive!"