Imagine that you receive a phone call from your child who informs you, "I am lost; I don't know where I am." Chances are you will ask some leading questions to try to determine where your child is:
Where have you been?
How did you get to where you are now?
What is the last familiar thing you saw?
Are you near any signs that give a clue to your location?
You will expect your child to be able to answer each or at least some of these questions. Otherwise, you may be looking for hours, driving up and down streets in hopes of happening upon the location of your child.
Imagine the same scenario. You receive a call from your child who informs you, "I am lost; I was on my to the dentists office, but I took a wrong turn and I am not sure how to get back on track. I am near the corner of Elm St. and Pike Ave. Can you help me get to where I am going?"
Your job is now much easier. You can use a printed map, use a computer generated map, or even plug in the street names in your GPS system and guide your child to his desired destination. The problem is solved quickly because your child gave you specific details that let you know what he understood about his location. Using what the child gave you and your personal knowledge or the assistance of maps and technology, you are able to coach your child regarding streets to take in order to get to where he wants to go. You are not driving your child back to the right road. You are simply explaining how to get there; your child is driving the car.
Here at ICA, our teachers sometimes receive calls from students who have lost their way. The student's plea for help is something like:
I don't get it.
I don't understand.
Help!
When this is the request for help, our teachers are left to determine where the student is in their understanding of the subject matter. The teacher then begins the process of questioning the student to see what the level of understanding is. This may be a lengthy process as the teacher is attempting to get a view of every level of the assignment and of the student's understanding of that level of assignment. This is sometimes frustrating for the student as they are lost, alone, and may not give the best answers to the teacher's guiding questions. It can be frustrating because the teacher gives explanations of things the student already knows, and it takes a while to find the actual area of concern.
Imagine, however, the same student who has become lost in a math problem. The student contacts the teacher and says, "I am having trouble with number seven. The question is asking me to add 2/3 and 1/2. I know that to do this, I have to find the common denominator. I know the denominator is the bottom number in a fraction, but I cannot remember how to find the common denominator."
This student can easily be helped. Why? Because this student has taken the time to look around, evaluate the knowledge and processes understood, and identify the one area of weakness. The teacher can easily guide the student through the process of finding the common denominator and even provide some additional practice more quickly and more efficiently than if the student simply indicated that they did not understand the problem. The truth is, the student knows how to do every step in the problem except one. A full explanation of the entire problem is not necessary and can frustrate the student because he does not want to be told what they already know.
Teachers can coach your child to understanding in either situation, but the support received is more appropriate, efficient, and effective when the student has given the location of Elm St. and Pike Ave. than when the teacher is left to drive up and down streets to locate the student. That's why it's important to always ask the right questions. It will help everyone find the answer faster.
Deborah Secord, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal