A moment from an Algebra I classroom this morning (really early this morning, with classes at this particular school starting up at 7:30 AM. Now, there’s just something wrong about that one; awfully early to be directed to a Do Now problem asking for x and y intercepts… heh).
The small class is made up of an amiable and pleasant group of freshmen, clearly comfortable with each other, respectful of the teacher and I would even say eager to participate. Confused about a problem? These students were actively asking for help from the teacher and peers offered their suggestions as well. Very little in the way of apathy of any sort. An ideal classroom culture and environment, for certain.
One student seemed to prefer doing his assigned classwork problems on the board, dismissing the rather reasonable question a fellow classmate raised about the sense of that. (“Then you’ll just have to copy down on your paper what you wrote on the board,” the classmate pointed out, to which the student responded with a smile and a slight shoulder shrug.) He seemed to like the tactile-ness of working the little nub of chalk against the blackboard and solving the problems with some guidance.
The teacher then gets temporarily distracted by checking in with another student, his back to the board and leaning over with glasses perched over his forehead to read the small print on the assigned classwork. The board-writing boy deadpans with endearing sarcasm:
“Pay attention <insert teacher’s last name>, I’m not up here for my health….”
So good, right? Makes me want to replicate this kid and put a few of him in every classroom across the city.
When the Mood is Right
A moment from an Algebra I classroom this morning (really early this morning, with classes at this particular school starting up at 7:30 AM. Now, there’s just something wrong about that one; awfully early to be directed to a Do Now problem asking for x and y intercepts… heh).
The small class is made up of an amiable and pleasant group of freshmen, clearly comfortable with each other, respectful of the teacher and I would even say eager to participate. Confused about a problem? These students were actively asking for help from the teacher and peers offered their suggestions as well. Very little in the way of apathy of any sort. An ideal classroom culture and environment, for certain.
One student seemed to prefer doing his assigned classwork problems on the board, dismissing the rather reasonable question a fellow classmate raised about the sense of that. (“Then you’ll just have to copy down on your paper what you wrote on the board,” the classmate pointed out, to which the student responded with a smile and a slight shoulder shrug.) He seemed to like the tactile-ness of working the little nub of chalk against the blackboard and solving the problems with some guidance.
The teacher then gets temporarily distracted by checking in with another student, his back to the board and leaning over with glasses perched over his forehead to read the small print on the assigned classwork. The board-writing boy deadpans with endearing sarcasm:
“Pay attention <insert teacher’s last name>, I’m not up here for my health….”
So good, right? Makes me want to replicate this kid and put a few of him in every classroom across the city.