preteaching wonders of the world

from Ms. K:

A quick update on Chris – he has been doing well in class. He has begun asking questions in class as well as looks for clarification or a re-explanation. I’ve gone over his homeworks and made corrections. It’s great to see the improvement he’s been making.

This is almost bizarre.

Yes, of course, preteaching is an old and honored technique.....but who would have thought???

Not me.


Rory says...

I am not surprised about pre-teaching working better for you.

I imagine that your brief tutoring gives him enough insight into the subject that when it is presented in class, he can keep up with it.

Before, I imagine that he couldn't quite keep up with the pace of presentation, got frustrated and tuned out. Then when you tried to catch him up, he was mentally discouraged.

Now, you can initially present the concept at a pace that suits him. Now when he sees the teacher present the material, he is saying to himself... "I got this!"

Obviously, Rory is right.

The class presentation is probably just moving too fast for C.; it may be that simple.

And the tuning out part -- is that a boy thing ??

Speaking as a person who has never been a boy, I think it may be. I've talked to at least 2 or 3 moms whose daughters are getting through the Phase 4 class by dint of staying up 'til midnight sweating over the homework. One mom told me her daughter tends to be anxious and is "perfectionistic." She doesn't quit.

That's not what we see around here. Nor have I heard tell of it in my many conversations with moms of boys.

If C. can't do the homework, he closes the book and we don't hear about it. That's why I have to stay on top of things; I have to watch. Every time I forget I have to watch, I end up sorry.


faster?

Maybe, when C. goes to class having worked through the material once, he's already faster.

Or, if not faster, just able to keep up. As Rory says. He's got the jist.

This whole experience is.... I'm afraid I'm going to have to resort to the word "bizarre" again.

The school must see a completely different student from the one we see. Some of you will recall the finds subject matter difficult comment from the Comment Bank that appeared on C's final report card last year re: math.

I'm sure the school considers us the ultimate exemplars of pushy parents who refuse to look reality in the face. (Your child. Not the little genius you thought he was, eh? IMS motto)

But the fact is, C. doesn't find subject matter difficult.

When I'm teaching him math -- and I'm not skilled at teaching math yet, though I hope to become so -- he finds subject matter easy.

When he's teaching himself math, which he's done, he finds subject matter easy.

He's not mathematically gifted; he's not going to be a mathematician when he grows up.

But that has no bearing on whether or not a bright 12 year old can learn beginning algebra.

A bright 12 year old can easily learn beginning algebra.

At some point C is going to "hit the wall," as Carolyn used to say ----- but that point is not beginning algebra.

Nor is it pre-algebra.

I'm having a distinctly unpleasant Big Picture moment.

Our entire country is filled with teachers, administrators, parents, and students who have no clue what material is or is not "hard" -- or, rather, what material is hard no matter how well it's taught.

So....

regular ed = special ed

In special ed, you spend most of your life telling people your kid can do more than they think.

Learn more, do more, be more, etc.

That's your job.

Same thing in regular ed.

You tell me my kid finds subject matter difficult.

I tell you he can do it.

Same difference.

..................

I don't know why people keep betting against parents.

Usually, when I've thought my kid could do something everyone else thought he couldn't, I've been right.

Parents aren't crazy -- at least, not the way educators think we're crazy.

We aren't crazy and we aren't deluded -- how can we be? We live with these kids.

When you live with a 12 year old boy you don't spend a lot of time thinking he's a genius.

In fact, you don't spend any time thinking he's a genius.

No!

The dominant emotions run to anxiety, horror, and chronic low-grade stress (just got word today: thyroid gland kaput!) --- it's not that easy to see how the 12 year old middle schooler becomes the 18 year old college student.

If the mother of a 12-year old boy thinks he can learn algebra in 8th grade and the 25 year old teacher thinks he finds subject matter difficult..... go with the mom.


update: from Rudbeckia

I can assure you that "tuning out" is an equal-opportunity behavior.

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preteaching wonders of the world