Also, I’m not sure what your goal is with the assignment. What do you want them to learn from this?

That is a great idea. I also found that my students didn’t know what to do with a review paper, I created an attached worksheet to the review that asked them for each problem to identify the concept taught, the section in the textbook, the pages in the interactive notebook, and the test that it was tested on this semester. The assignment was due at the end of class and they could work in groups of four where one person could work on one column. The next class period, I returned the papers back and had them work on answering the review problems using their assignment paper.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7406521

I try to use it two ways, this thinking about set intelligence affects both “smart” kids and those who are behind (it’s one of the reasons why GATE kids stumble in Middle/High School when it’s no long “easy”). I have to tell my son that even “genuises” make mistakes in math (his argument for the correctness of his Math homework is based on his perceived self-intelligence, and a dislike for fixing sloppy work). For low-performing students, they get stuck in the “I can’t do that rut” because it’s not easy. Giving them some successes like Dan does helps.

Zac - I am surprised that this attitude is also prevalent in Singapore. For some reason I was under the impression that it was different there. Really different. Interesting. Thank you.

Sam - I found that too! They don’t know how to study math (or maths ). Looking over notes/problems is not going to do it. Math is not a spectator sport. My suggestion to my students was to write down the problems they had already done (which we had gone over in class, so they had the correct answers) on a new, clean sheet of paper, and try them again (sans notes/book). Then go back and compare the new results with the prior work. Many of them thought I was crazy - “But I already did that problem!”

Dan - You rock. Your stories always remind me of the time I spent working at the alternative school. So many other issues with which to deal aside from the math phobia. It takes so much energy and patience. Your students are lucky to have you! I love the idea of the letter. How much time does that take?

Everyone - So, it appears this problem isn’t limited to one country. I’m guessing that we all use very different “curricula”, so that’s not it. I think it’s also safe to say that our students were taught a variety of methods before they came to our classes. I don’t think this is a “new” problem either. I remember it all too well from my own long ago high school/college days - which is part of the reason I went into teaching - to change that perception. I’ve really got to look at the survey’s from the freshmen soon - not today though. Off to do some cooking for Father’s Day!

When I have a freshman with her head down, I crouch down quietly beside her and ask her what’s wrong. If she doesn’t immediately start crying or get mad or shut down, it’s usually not a personal or family related issue.

We discuss why he is not doing the work and it turns out he doesn’t think he can do it. I show him a problem, step by step. I wait for him to try it. Almost every time, I’ll get an “Oh, that’s all you do? That’s easy.” Or, my favorite, “Why didn’t you show us that before?” I follow this with some praise, an explicit “See, you can do math!” and a request that they try at least one or two more problems, and I get up and check on other students. Most of the time, the student will get to work and tear through the rest of their problems.

I give frequent short quizzes so they can see immediate results, and learn the message that if they work today, they will do well on the assessment tomorrow.

Now, this type of progress is highly non-linear. The student I reach today completely may be gone again next week. Students make great progress and then they slip back again, sometimes all the way back to square one. One of my favorite traditions is to write all of my students a letter at the end of the year, where I thank them, etc., and also reflect on all the progress that they have made. The grades don’t always show their true growth - which often comes in the form of now being ready to give math a chance, to believe that they can do math if they try, to come back the following year, ready to try algebra again and really mean it. The letters help give them a charge forward and they give me positive closure - even with the most difficult students.

I know that these letters are meaningful to students, because of the way they try not to look excited when I hand them out. And because, out of 80 some freshmen this year, I only found one letter left behind on the floor and none in the trash! Compare that to a typical handout…

Student: Well, I’m fine when we’re doing the problems in class or if I’m at home. I just can’t take math tests.

Math confidence is a huge thing weighing a bunch of kids I taught last year down. And besides encouragement and lots of extra help, I was at a loss. But nearing the end of the year, I had this long discussion with one of my students regarding her study habits — from start to finish. I’m talking homework, studying for tests, review class notes, everything. And one thing became readily apparent, and I think this is true for more than just her.

When she was doing her homework at home, she got it because she was using the book, her class notes, and examples to guide her. Which is fine and dandy. But I realized that she had never attempted to do a problem without the book or notes or anything on her own, WITHOUT any crutches. So she would get to a test and freak out because she didn’t have some reference telling her “oh yeah, that’s the first step… you’re doing it right… keep on going…” That is what the book/notes/examples provided her.

So my suggestion to her, perhaps a little too little and a little too late, was to leave certain homework problems undone, go do some other class’s assignment, and then come back work on those undone problems without looking at anything. It’s “just” homework, so she wasn’t going to be graded if she didn’t get it. And that way she could test to see if she had complete understanding of the topic or only partial understanding. She could also see precisely where she messed up. So instead of saying “I couldn’t solve this triangle,” she would be able to specifically articulate, “I was able to properly apply the law of sines, but then I forgot to take into account there could be a second answer!”

Maybe this can help too?

Sam.