Saturday, October 13, 2012

Six Word Saturday



I don't understand any of it.



For more Six Word Saturday participants, click here.

You have been teaching a topic for 2 weeks. You have worked examples on the board (and told the students to copy it down). You have elicited previous knowledge in class discussions. You have had various students work problems on the board. You have had classwork days of working problems.

It is the day before a quiz/test and you ask if there are questions.

"I don't understand any of it."

OK, where did I lose you?

"I don't understand any of it."

Half of what you are doing is based on material they should have mastered 2 or more years ago.

I have no clue where to start explaining anything at this point. I usually rework whatever I am doing, knowing full well that the student is 1) yanking my chain to get Eddie-Haskell attention or 2) has finally awakened from a Sleeping-beauty doze to see the world has passed him/her by.

Put more than one of these students in a class (did you know that 5 * 7 is 18? or that the operation happening near W in A = LW is addition?) of 36 with no other adult in the room and Oy Vey! I have no clue had to fix it!

Happy Saturday!

6 comments:

mryjhnsn said...

Me neither

retired not tired said...

That is what teaching is all about.

Ron. said...

I feel for you. When I was teaching, this kind of thing happened to me, too, on a (sadly) regular basis.

It happened to me (as a student)once, when I was at University. In a class on Medieval English Lit (a subject in which I was adequately verses) one day (mid-semester, mind you) a classmate raised her hand and asked a question that sparked a discussion, during which I suddenly realized I had no idea what anyone was talking about. I thought I was in the wrong classroom for a minute, or had suddeenly awakened from a coma to find nothing no familiar faces.
Absolutely terrifying.

joanne said...

OMG...must be so very frustrating....

Anonymous said...

Oh no...good grief...I always felt so lost in math. Of course going to eleven schools growing up didn't help...

Plant Seeds of Happiness said...

I have mad respect for teachers you all are so unique and quite frankly A W E S O M E!!! I could not do it, I raised 5 kids & school work was #1 priority in our home but classroom chaos no thank you yikes....hang in there the schools need you ~janice~ no more footsteps I changed my blog name same Janice though lol