THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!
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So . . . I taught middle school for eight years a long time ago but this is my first year teaching sixth graders. I LOVE SIXTH GRADERS!!!! They are enthusiastic, and they want to learn, and I love them!!!! Did I say that already? I love them (I love 8th graders, too, by the way)!!!!
Here's something I have learned about many sixth graders. They are so excited about learning and so concerned about doing the right thing that they often have 329 questions just as I start to say "Today we are going to...."
I love that sixth graders care so much about getting it right! I love that they don't just sit there and pretend to know what's going on. Their impulse to clarify directions is fabulous!
However. . . 99.99999% of the time, I will anticipate and answer their questions if they just give me time (like two minutes!!!) to explain. While they are busy concentrating on their questions with their hands waving frantically in the air and with them practically jumping out of their seats, they often can't focus on the actual directions.
How to solve this dilemma? I've given some students post-it notes and told them to write down any questions as they come up (so they don't forget them) and then to ask me the questions at the end of my directions if I don't answer to their satisfaction.
One day, as I began a lesson, the hands shot up when I had barely said "bonjour."
"Should we put our names on the paper?"
"Do we work with partners?"
"What do we do for #10?"
Oh là la! I told the students that I needed a sign to hold up that said, "Hold on! Don't you know me by now? Don't you think I'm going to tell you that? Don't I always explain everything?" Then I could just stand there with my sign for a moment and smile at them.
One 6th grader, *Grace Cho*, made me a sign! It's AWESOME! It says, "Don't you think I'm gonna tell you that?"
Then it says:
Here's something I have learned about many sixth graders. They are so excited about learning and so concerned about doing the right thing that they often have 329 questions just as I start to say "Today we are going to...."
I love that sixth graders care so much about getting it right! I love that they don't just sit there and pretend to know what's going on. Their impulse to clarify directions is fabulous!
However. . . 99.99999% of the time, I will anticipate and answer their questions if they just give me time (like two minutes!!!) to explain. While they are busy concentrating on their questions with their hands waving frantically in the air and with them practically jumping out of their seats, they often can't focus on the actual directions.
How to solve this dilemma? I've given some students post-it notes and told them to write down any questions as they come up (so they don't forget them) and then to ask me the questions at the end of my directions if I don't answer to their satisfaction.
One day, as I began a lesson, the hands shot up when I had barely said "bonjour."
"Should we put our names on the paper?"
"Do we work with partners?"
"What do we do for #10?"
Oh là la! I told the students that I needed a sign to hold up that said, "Hold on! Don't you know me by now? Don't you think I'm going to tell you that? Don't I always explain everything?" Then I could just stand there with my sign for a moment and smile at them.
One 6th grader, *Grace Cho*, made me a sign! It's AWESOME! It says, "Don't you think I'm gonna tell you that?"
Then it says:
"No worries.
Don't you know Ms. Steinhauer?
SHE EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!"
Don't you know Ms. Steinhauer?
SHE EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!"
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Merci, Grace!
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