What About When They Just Don’t Get It?

When you are only given 10 days to teach a whole unit, what do you do when some students just aren’t catching on? Some students are done in 5 minutes and some are stressed out and disengaged because they just don’t understand, or they just don’t want to participate in Math. I want to go back and clear everything up for students but that cuts into the rest of the information I have to get through. Such a short period of time to get so much done.  At the same time as wanting to get through my whole unit, I definitely don’t want my co-op to have to go back and reteach anything.

Math is one of those hard subjects.  By grade 5, students already “know” whether they like math or hate it.  They “know” whether they are good at it or not good at it.  I think Math is one of the only subjects that people develop such a negative emotional reaction to. You don’t hear many people going around saying that they hate English Language Arts or that they hate Arts Ed.  I am trying my hardest to make Math engaging and fun for students.  I am teaching through games and through hands on activities, but I feel like I am failing if some students don’t get it.  Maybe not everyone learns through games.  Maybe I need to focus more on instruction and making sure that students really understand a lesson before letting them strengthen that learning through play.

They teach us in University that direct instruction is the worst.  That no one learns when someone is up at the front of the class telling them what it is they need to learn.  But is Math different?  While some people think that you will never use the lessons you learn in Math ever again, the unit I am teaching – Measurement – is one that students will absolutely use for the rest of their life.  Whether they are building something, cooking something, or trying to figure out how much of something will fit in a box or jug.  The lessons I am teaching them now are a foundation to much more learning in later years.

So what the heck do I do if some students just don’t get it?  I don’t have an answer, so if you do please feel free to share your wisdom with the rest of us.