Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Frustration....

Yesterday's experience was frustrating....oh, yeah...teachers feel it.  So many students are reluctant writers to begin with.  Now I'm asking them to write in math class. (Are you kidding me?)

My two classes yesterday turned in mixed results of their Cat Walk problem.  It was clear that those that had quite a bit of work on paper had adult guidance. That's ok with me as long as the student can explain. Not all could do that.  Many of them had no written explanation of their reasoning. If I look at their papers, it's up to me to put some logic and order to the scribbling of numbers and calculations to follow their thinking. We had a talk about why it is important to explain your thinking. It is an expectation to be clear in oral and written language in order to be college- and career-ready. If you can explain your thinking, you demonstrate deeper understanding. This is going to be a growth experience for us all.

How do you move students along in their ability to write in math class?  Ideas? Suggestions? Let's pick each others' brains!

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