Cynthia
Martha Haehl wrote:
> Woah!
>
> We do not know the entire picture here. There are models of teaching other
> than to demonstrate how to do a procedure, have students go home and
> practice the procedure, and start each class with questions about the
> homework over the procedure. Sometimes students get more from answers by
> being challenged in some form or other to find their own mistakes rather
> than the teacher to demonstrate the problem one more time in a lecture
> format. Setting up other means (inside or outside of class) to have
> students learn from their mistakes does not necessarily mean that a teacher
> is cold or unwilling to help students.
>
> Martha
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DustyGrigg@AOL.COM <DustyGrigg@AOL.COM>
> To: hawkins@SUN1.WAYNE.CC.NC.US <hawkins@SUN1.WAYNE.CC.NC.US>;
> owner-mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu <owner-mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu>;
> nmiller@AUSTIN.CC.TX.US <nmiller@AUSTIN.CC.TX.US>
> Cc: b.hentges@cctc.cc.mn.us <b.hentges@cctc.cc.mn.us>;
> mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu <mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu>
> Date: Saturday, September 26, 1998 3:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [MATHEDCC] Combined Algebra - Time Allotment For Asking
> Questions
>
> 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
>
> ****************************************************************************
> * To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu *
> * To unsubscribe, send mail to: majordomo@archives.math.utk.edu *
> * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe mathedcc *
> * Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! *
> * Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ *
> ****************************************************************************
>
> ****************************************************************************
> * To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu *
> * To unsubscribe, send mail to: majordomo@archives.math.utk.edu *
> * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe mathedcc *
> * Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! *
> * Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ *
> ****************************************************************************
****************************************************************************
* To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu *
* To unsubscribe, send mail to: majordomo@archives.math.utk.edu *
* In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe mathedcc *
* Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! *
* Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ *
****************************************************************************