Tuesday, June 28, 2011

approach in teaching place value and value in math

At the beginning of the day, i anticipate that my pupils learn immediately the lesson because they are participative and attentive to listen. Until late in the afternoon, I made a test about the lesson on place value and value of a number, I found out that my pupils never had the mastery of the lesson. Do you know what my reaction is? For tradition teacher, the temper is high with full of sarcastic words, to express the disappointment of the evaluation, but you know what I did? I twist the lesson, instead of disappointment I made another activity to let all my pupils interested and learn what the lesson is all about.
HOW IT GOES ALONG THE WAY........THE MASTERY OF THE LESSON.......
Based from the seating arrangement that I have which is squatting the floor.........I let them arrange themselves each group by row. Then, all groups are represented by a leader to check whether their works are correct. The exercises goes like this: the pupils will write the value of the underlined number, after checking the place value will follow ( but make sure that their is already mastery of the value is).
                                                 value                             place value
   451  263
   451  362
   451  326
  With these exercises, I let my pupils identify what is the value of the underlined number then the place value of the underlined number, one at a time, then the leader will check the answer one at a time. With the exercises given, the pupils then learn the value and the place value of the underlined number. Then, another exercises are given and goes like these:
   451  263
   451  326
   451  632
   632  451
   326  514
These exercises were given until all place value and the value reach up to the hundred thousands place. Then, I give another exercise and goes like these:
What is the value of 6?            What is the place value of 6?
These statements were given up to the hundred thousands place were asked.
At the end of the day, me and my pupils never realized that the bell rings for flag retreat because the whole class really enjoyed. Me, too, as their teacher completed my day that my slow learners end up the session fruitfully.
I never realized that the approach am using is fitted for them because it just happen. That's why as a teacher, flexibility should always be ready so that our learners will appreciate what they have to learn for that day.
Hope that this approach be also applicable to your pupils.

Friday, June 24, 2011

teaching the slow learners

In teaching the slow learners, teacher should always consider the interest of the pupils. One of their interests to learn easily when the lesson is introduce through games. As their teacher, the seating arrangement is one of the new technique I am using through games. How does it looks? Does the seating arrangement am using applicable to other classroom management? It maybe....

The seating arrangement I am using in my class has no desk, nor tables or chairs to seat in. All my pupils are just squatting the floor with a rubber to seat in. All the activities given to them when doing are free to move around so that they can easily move from one style to the other. This maybe new to public schools but some private schools are using the said arrangement, but not to whole day activity. In my set up, this seating arrangement is utilize the whole day round.

In my observation, the seating arrangement I am utilizing in my class is not boring since the pupils are free to move to what they wanted to do during the session. Like forming a circle during group activity, then a line formation during class discussion, or a base formation when the activity given is using base 1 to 5,etc. while different topic is given, or just squatting to any part during the planning of a certain activity to do. Aside from those observation, all my pupils participated whatever activities given because the teacher can easily monitor who are doing. In fact, the pupils always consider that all the things they do inside the room are all playing without pressure but then all the activities given will end up to something new (lesson to learn).

Another observation in my seating arrangement, when cleaning the room, it is easy for us to finish because the room is empty. It is also a help to the agency because no budget for supplying desk, chairs, or tables anymore. It is easy for me to monitor my pupils who are not listening because they are not hiding behind because they cannot hide when they are playing during the discussion.

With my seating arrangement, my experiences with my pupils are fruitful because less stress to my part (am just a facilitator during the session ), and at the end of the lesson, my pupils learn something new through games. Games that are educational one. For all we know, most of the time in public schools setting, teacher keeps on talking and scolding because the pupils are not listening rather playing while the teacher do the discussion. In my set up, the pupils are doing to come up with a new lesson to learn and not from the teachers effort.

After 3 weeks of experiencing with this seating arrangement, I can say that there is always room for all pupils especially the slow ones to learn. The accusations from some teachers that they reject the slow ones are always a crime because based from my seating arrangement slow learners can learn the way fast learners can. As their teacher, before the day ends, I imparted to them the best one. I have no tiresome moments with them, in fact some students from other class have to visit my classroom just to watch what we are doing.

FOR ALL THE TEACHERS OUT THERE, LET'S MAKE A CHANGE THE WAY WE TEACH AND TRY TO UTILIZE THE WAY I AM DOING WITH MY CLASS...