I have been observing a
struggling student from day one. This young boy has trouble focusing during
math class. I have offered my assistance to help keep him on task many times.
When he is monitored closely he knows the content of the lesson better than
most of the students in the class. He has poor grades but knows what he’s
doing. I discussed this with my host teacher and she agreed but told me he has
to show her what he knows on paper so he can be assessed. I think if she would
use other ways to keep him engaged during the lesson he would do better because
he often plays with things inside his desk. He has come to like me being there and often
asks me to stand by his desk. Just the other day he was having trouble because
he was tired. He repeatedly told me how tired he was. That was a hard day for
him but he made it through. Another issue in the class is classroom management.
I feel this also has a big influence on his situation.
I think more flexible assessment practices are needed here. Having students "show" their work is useful to identify student misconceptions in order to help correct them. A great strategy for students who are struggling with math.
ReplyDeleteIf a student is not struggling, what is the point is forcing them to "show" their work. A better strategy would be to have the student help other student by "showing" the class the strategies they use to successfully solve math problems.
Do I make sense?