New Teacher's Perspective

Dec 12, 2007 4:40 PM

How many balls in the box?
by No-sleep-till-brooklyn

On my lunch break today I overheard the first grade teacher across the
hall giving a math lesson on addition. It began simple enough:
"Franklin has 6 balls in a box. The box can hold 10 balls. How many
more does he need to fill the box?"

Four, I said to myself, as I munched on some grapes. Before swallowing
my grapes, I heard the teacher repeat the question, this time with
unmistakable irritation in his voice. "Look. Franklin has 6 balls in
the box. See them, six? The box can hold 10 balls. How many more balls
does Franklin need in order for the box to be full?"

My palms start sweating. I know THAT tone of voice.

It got worse. The teacher, not receiving any feedback whatsoever,
tried for the third time to clear up any confusion. "You all have two
eyes, right? You all have two hands, too. Use your hand eye
coordination to figure this OUT! Look at page 12, look at the box,
look at the 6 balls. He needs how many more to fill that box? It holds
10, remember? The box holds 10, that's right, 10 balls. Count with me,
up from 6, come on!"

I was squirming in my seat by this point, fearing for this teacher's
sanity and for those students who were probably sinking lower and
lower in their seats. I was not judging him, of course, no no, because
I've been there. I've heard my five-year-old students tell me that n
is r and t makes the /f/ sound. I have seen the blank stares when my
children forget what comes after six and I have felt the impatience
that one feels when a lesson doesn't quite hit home for certain
students.

In my years of experience (cough cough, and by years I mean one year)
I have gained the wisdom of knowing that finding out how many balls
Franklin needs to fill the box isn't the most important lesson that
needs to be taught in the classroom. Showing your students that
mistakes are made and some concepts take time to master is a much
bigger and more worthwhile lesson. Now THAT is worth repeating.