26th Jan 2015
Just one week ago, I lost my temper at this boy. I lost it in a flare and a torrent of scoldings. The Math syllabus had introduced counting up to 1000, and S who usually had difficulties with counting even into tens, and sometimes in his unfocused state (which happens pretty often), he also counts his ones wrongly.
So when the thousands were introduced, he struggled for quite a bit with the placement values. Then they had to learn number patterns and he too, struggled with finding the missing numbers. He couldn't understand the concept of adding (or subtracting) with the numbers before and after to get the missing numbers in between. It was very frustrating teaching him because in a number pattern of say, 200s, he would fill in the missing number with a ridiculous answer like '5'. Even though I had sat beside him and explained at length on how to derive the pattern, he still couldn't get 'it'. And I would get mad at him because, the answer was so obvious to me, yet the concept totally eluded him.
I knew that it wasn't fair to him by losing my temper like that, and that getting angry with him wouldn't suddenly make his mind wrap around the math concept, but in a moment of frustration and anger, I lost my temper at him. He too, was frustrated at me and at himself, for receiving my unnecessary temper and for not being able to understand.
So I pulled up my socks and did revision with him on his textbook over the weekend; something that I ought to have done right from the beginning but hadn't been conscientious about it. I tried teaching him variations of the examples the textbook gave, twisting this way and that, and forwards and backwards, and it took quite a bit of efforts (and threats) to stay his attention as it strays away after a short while.
Hub also reinforced values of the hundreds by showing him the top speed of several cars listed in a magazine, teaching him to compare the speeds of the cars and which model went the fastest by looking at the km/hr speed.
The next few days after that, his understanding of the math concept still wobbled as he couldn't yet fully grasp the things that had been taught and I didn't think too much into it.
Today as usual, we started on his homework straight after dinner. He presented me with a few pages of math worksheets on long additions into the hundreds. I saw that while he had attempted two questions on his own (with wrong answers), he had also pre-wrote an additional ten carried over from the ones value on all the questions including those that he hadn't yet done. I was dismayed.
I rubbed off all his little ones and explained that while I was happy he had attempted some of them by himself, they were done wrongly. I then guided him step-by-step on the first question and suddenly like a lit bulb, he just knew how to handle the rest of the sums. I watched with amazement and pride, his pudgy fingers moving as he calculated the additions with minimal mistakes. It was literally like the 'gears just clicked'.
The comments that flowed from him subsequently as he breezed through the next few questions were varying versions of 'aiyah this one so easy, I know how to do already', or 'easy peasy lemon squeezy', or even 'see, I'm very good in maths now!'
Seeing his smugness and ease in completing the sums, I couldn't decide if I wanted to scoff or laugh at his 'revelations'. But I was very glad for him because these reactions were a complete contrast from the usual blanked out, perplexed or guarded look he usually had while I was teaching him maths. It brought a smile to my lips but I hid that smile as I listened to him chattering animatedly on how 'good' he was in maths now.
I couldn't bear to burst his bubble nor afford to indulge and overly boost his ego, so I told him quietly that while he was doing a good job, he had to do his sums properly and carefully to avoid careless mistakes. I am not sure how much of what I had said went through his inflated ego and into his mind, or how long he will retain this topic since he tends to forget the things that he learn rather quickly. But today has undoubtedly been a small triumph for us in the confusing and complexing world of math and its problem(atic) sums. And I let him soak in that triumph.
It is these tiny little triumphs that give me - and him, the strength and perseverance to continue teaching and learning, and moving forwards inch by inch in the many miles ahead to cover.
Well done my boy.
I hope you and I will never forget the feel of today's triumph, giving us the strength and tenacity to always try to strive towards overcoming the difficulties we face.
No comments:
Post a Comment