The Joy of Teaching

Pin It

I love to teach.

Mostly, because I love to see kids learning.

Sometimes, you have to teach kids how to learn. 

I know that sounds silly, but it's true. 

Some kids think that learning is all about getting the "right" answer as fast as possible. 

This is especially an epidemic of monstrous proportions in Math.

So, before we get into the nuts and bolts of the school year, I'm teaching the kids how to learn.

It's fun for me.

It's fun for the Classroom Assistants (who are so helpful and capable; they are just AWESOME).  One day, my Classroom Assistant exclaimed, "I love math!" as I lead the kids to discover a pretty cool number pattern.  He sat down with the seventh graders and got right into it.

It's a good experience for the kids.

It was pretty funny to see the expression on the kids' faces the first class when I collected all of the Math textbooks and returned them to the library.

One student asked me if I was sure they could pass without the textbook.

I assured him that they could all pass.  Without the textbook.

You see, my class is all about problem solving. 

Thinking outside the box.

The medium is the message.

(Quick!  Name that "Heritage Moment" commercial!)

The kids are slowly adjusting to my approach to learning Math. 

More accurately, my approach to discovering Math.

They are understanding that HOW they get the answer is more important to me than the answer itself. 

It boggles their minds, I tell you.

They think I'm nuts when I applaud their mistakes.

I jump up and down.

They think I'm an odd shrunken teacher from the east.

That says "odd," not "old."

Mistakes are actually learning moments, you know!

You just have to be willing to learn from the mistakes.

So, we're getting some good learning happening.  Yes we are.

Would you like to try one problem?

Place the digits

1 2 3 4 5 6

In the circles so that the sum of the three numbers on each side of the triangle is 12.

Fun, right??

Want to try another one?

A circus ring leader is travelling with a tiger, a goose, and a bag of grain to meet the rest of the circus troupe. 

He comes to a river with a boat only big enough to hold him and one circus item at a time.

The tiger cannot be alone with the goose.

The goose cannot be alone with the grain.

How will he get across the river with the tiger, goose and grain? 

Can you find the most efficient way (least amount of trips) he could take?

Oh, and the number one comment I get from the kids in the school.

It's not about Math...

"Hey!  I'm taller than you!"  (Generally Grades 3 and up)

Number two comment:

"Hey!  I'm almost as tall as you!"  (Grades 2 and below)

Number three comment:

"Are you REALLY our teacher?"

Yes.  Yes, I am.

Oh.  And not blogging for a week?  Not that fun for me.

But the September germs have sought me out and have taken hold.

I sound like a cross between a demented frog and an angry seal.

My cough is always deep and long lasting.

It might last until the spring, but I hope not.

Ah, September.

The nostalgia of back-to-school.

Now germs, back off.

I would like to get back into my blogging routine, thank you.

And, I can't do that well if I take NeoCitron Night every evening after supper.  It knocks me out cold.  Now, if I were to blog with cold-flu medication, you might end up with some very funny tales, indeed.  Like, purple elephants and flying monkeys kind of funny. 
But, I need my sleep.

Thanks for understanding.