This means trying to get them to seek out the other avenues of help
available to them; my office hours, our math lab, my office hours, video
tape series that correspond to the texts and last (but not least) my office
hours. These are the things that most successful students do. Just because
my time with problems is limited in class doesn't mean I can't answer
questions for them. They just have to be willing to come ask them. To this
end, I also set appointments for those students whose schedules aren't
consistent with my posted schedule of hours. This has required me to come
back to school to meet students at night and on weekends. If they want to
learn we can find a time that will be convenient for both of us.
I would say your allotment of homework q&a time is about what I would have
if I took them everyday. It's realistic and, if it works for you in your
role as time manager, do it. And realize that no matter what you do,
students will find something to complain about. The key to turning some
students around is to listen to their complaints with a compassionate ear.
But no matter how compassionately you listen, you won't turn every student
into a success story.
At 03:40 AM 9/26/98 EDT, you wrote:
>Hi Annette!
>
>I can understand why your first year students "get a little upset" ... if you
>only give them ten minutes to ask questions about homework! I would venture
>to say that most likely they are more than "just a little upset." Most likely
>they are also feeling quite frustrated with you AND with learning math as
>well! How open are you to learning something new - when the learning
>environment is one which produces frustration, stress and tension??? I'd
>venture to guess that unless you felt you had to attend such a class ... that
>you would quickly drop it!
>
>You ask: "How much time is allowed for homework questions, if at all
>... "
>
>Your "if at all" worries me, Annette! Imagine trying to learn something new
>and the person teaching you does not allow you to ask questions about things
>which confuse you. Ask yourself this question: If you were not allowed to
>ask questions about those things you didn't understand - would you continue
>attending the class? Probably not, because your lack of understanding would
>grow deeper with each class session, along with possible feelings of
>inadequacies such as feeling stupid. Your "learning receptors" would quickly
>"turn off" and you'd no longer even be trying to understand what is being
>taught! Finally, you'd reach a point where you would just stop attending the
>class. Why? Cuz the class wasn't interesting or fun to you! Having a "cloud
>of confusion" surround you, having the sense of "drowning," or having the
>experience of "frantically trying to stay afloat" ... are not pleasant
>experiences. They aren't experiences that most people readily choose for
>themselves!
>
>As far as the actual time allotted for questions regarding homework ... I'd
>say it depends on the length of your classes (50 minutes? 85 minutes? 110
>minutes?), the topics being covered, how much instructional time you've
>already provided your students on the topic(s), etc.
>
>If your class sessions are only 50 minutes long, allotting a total
>time of 25 minutes for questions (including your work of problems at the
>black/white board) is not unreasonable. Don't make it a rule written in
>concrete that it's always the first 25 minutes of class, either! Ideally, the
>learning environment created is one in which students hopefully feel free to
>ask you questions regarding confusion they may have regarding past or present
>material being presented ... at any time!
>
>If your class sessions are 110 minutes, additional time for questions and
>working types of problems on the board should not cause too much additional
>stress. If you just began a particular topic the last class session or so -
>encourage your students to ask questions regarding the new material! How else
>are you to learn exactly what and where their confusion lies regarding it???
>How else are your student to learn that you care and are concerned about them
>and the confusion they are experiencing! Unless you know exactly what your
>students' confusion consists of ... you won't know where to begin to
>dispel/dissolve their confusion! And unless your students' have resolved
>conflicts in their understanding of material you have previously presented ...
>their receptivity to any new material you present to them will be extremely
>low or non-existence. This is especially true if students' need to understand
>what you've already presented to them ... in order to understand the new
>material you present to them.
>
>You ask: "What questions do you allow? Problems in which they could not
>work at all, problems in which they could start but not finish, or
>problems that they finished but their answers did not match the
> answers in the back of the book.
>
>Allow ALL questions! ENCOURAGE students to ask questions! And you in return
>- be responsive, respectful and non-judgemental towards the
>students and their questions!
>
>The best teacher I know, continuously encourages his students to ask
>questions! He tells his students that there is no such thing as a "dumb"
>question! He tells them that if someone sitting next to them thinks that
>their question is dumb - "Who has the problem?" Not you!" When a student
>asks him: "May I ask a question?" His response is: "Please do!" And his
>body language totally supports his verbal message to the student 100%! I've
>heard this teacher tell his students: "If my job was to give you a lecture on
>math, I would just video-tape my lectures and let you look at them while I'd
>be out on the golf course! I'm here to answer your questions ... but I can't
>answer your questions unless you tell me them!"
>
>During the last four years, I have observed this teacher in the classroom with
>students quite often. As I've said, this teacher actively encourages his
>students to ask him questions! I have heard his students ask him a whole
>array of different questions, some which could easily be labeled as "stupid."
>And not once has this teacher's verbal language OR his body language given any
>indication whatsoever ... that he considered a question asked as being stupid
>OR that he considered the person who asked the question as being stupid for
>asking it!
>
>I've also seen the results of this type of learning environment that this
>teacher has cultivated in his classroom, as well. Students quickly relax in
>his class, they quickly begin to feel free to ask questions, they quickly
>realize that this teacher respects them as individuals ... and just as quickly
>- the students' "learning receptors" open and their understanding begins to
>freely blossom!
>
>When students do not fear being ridiculed for asking what they may feel is a
>"dumb" question - they begin to open up. First they become receptive to the
>person trying to teach them! Next - they begin to be receptive towards
>learning about the subject being taught!
>
>When students are allowed to ask questions - encouraged to ask questions - and
>when their questions are responded to with respect ... students begin to relax
>and trust! And that point marks the beginning of a student's receptivity:
>receptiveness to the person trying to teach themAND receptiveness towards the
>subject matter being taught!
>
>Math can be a hard course to teach - especially if it is a required math
>course (e.g. for graduation, transfer to a four year educational institution,
>etc.), as then there is a high percentage of students who would not willingly
>choose to take the class in the first place ... if they felt they had the
>choice. And trying to teach people something they really don't desire to
>learn ... is a very difficult, but not impossible challenge!
>
>Annette, it's an invaluable skill to be able to answer students' questions
>completely ... yet also quickly! Perhaps before answering a question - ask
>the student: "How far did you get?" OR "Where did you get stuck?" Let the
>student tell you how they proceeded up until the place where they got stuck!
>You have now engaged the student (and other students as well) ... in their own
>learning!
>
>Another method of answering students' questions is as follows. Perhaps you
>assigned exercises 1-50. The next class session you could ask: "Does anyone
>have a question about homework problems 1 through 18?" Answer those questions
>and then ask: "Any questions about problems 19 through 26?" "27 to 35?" etc.
>By asking for questions in this way, you are grouping the same type of
>homework problems together and thus you create a united focus to the questions
>asked at a particular time.
>
>Still another method is to have students - as they enter the classroom - to
>write on the board (in a specified place) the specific number of the homework
>problem(s) they found difficult and wish to be further explained by you, their
>teacher. This method gives students a "protective cloak" of being able to ask
>for help anonymously, plus also of giving students at least some control over
>their learning environment. This method also inconspicuously shows students
>that other students as well ... also had problems with the same homework
>exercise(s) as they themselves!
>
>Say, for example, a student had problems with exercises #3, 8, 16 and 27.
>When the student enters the classroom the next class session and sees that
>another student has already written exercises #8 and #27 on the board - a
>feeling of camaraderie and unity with his/her fellow students is experienced.
>Also, feelings of "being stupid" (for not understanding) begin to dissolve.
>That student now knows he/she is not the only person who doesn't understand
>the mathematical concepts being taught!
>
>Teachers who are responsive to their students' confusion ... help to
>create a feeling of camaraderie and unity between their students AND between
>themselves and their students as well!
>
>Learning is a partnership between the teacher and each individual student!
>
>I ran across the following quote - exactly where I forget:
>
>"A teacher is an answer ... in search of a question!"
>
>
>Dusty
>
>
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