More isn't always better, Blog 1
Reading "Rigor Is More Than Hard Work" by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey was very informative, and it got me thinking. Regardless of what age I was, anytime I wanted to improve something and do better, only one thing came to mind: work more, do more... more and so on. Reading this article made me realize that more isn't always better. There are so many other ways to improve and understand while challenging yourself that don't require increasing quantity or "hard work". This article spoke about how, as a teacher, you can provide rigorous education. As teachers, we need to balance challenging the students and the difficulty levels.
The most ironic thing about this to me was the fact that today I needed help in my analysis class. I was telling my friends that I would go home over the weekend, work on more questions, and just do more to understand the material better. But reading this article made me realize that I’ve been through this same process before, where I do more exercises and expect myself to understand the concept better. More often than not, though, I end up getting stuck when something about the question is different from the ones I practiced before.
I now realize that instead of just doing more questions, I should try working on questions that challenge me but also help me understand the concept rather than just memorize the steps. I think this is something I need to keep in mind, not only as a student but also as a future teacher.
In Buehl’s explanation of how literacy and identity impact a student’s understanding and abilities, it showed how these factors can affect a student’s mindset. Some students do not believe they are good at a subject, or they think they are not meant to understand a topic if they struggle a few times. As a future math teacher, I grew up hearing so many people say, “I’m not good at math” or “Math isn’t my thing.” I don’t want my students to think like that. Many of these thoughts can come from not getting questions right or not understanding what they are reading. A student’s literacy ability does not define their future or what they are capable of learning. However, when students begin to believe that they are not good at a certain subject, they may start avoiding it altogether. They might even choose careers based on what they think they cannot do instead of what they actually enjoy or are capable of doing. I think teachers have a responsibility to help students see that struggling with something does not mean they are incapable of learning it. Sometimes, students just need the right support, explanation, or opportunity to approach the material in a different way.
Hi Amena,
ReplyDeleteI liked your connection to Buehl and the idea that students can start to see themselves as “not a math person” when they struggle. If students repeatedly experience tasks where they are just trying to get the “right answer,” they might start to think that being good at math means getting everything right quickly. But if we give them opportunities to struggle with meaningful problems, explain their thinking, try different approaches, and learn from mistakes, maybe they can start to see themselves as someone who can participate in mathematical thinking, even when they don't immediately know the answer.
I also wonder if this connects to the idea of rigor being more about the quality of the thinking and practice than simply increasing the amount of work. how do you think we can help students recognize the difference between “I need to practice more” and “I need to practice differently”?
Hi Amena,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
I really connected with your point that “more” does not always mean better learning, although I think it can depend on what you are learning. When I studied for the TOEFL, I often relied on doing a large amount of practice, and I still think repetition and sufficient practice are necessary for developing certain skills. However, your reflection made me think about how subjects like philosophy or writing require a different kind of learning. Simply doing more may not lead to deeper understanding; we need to make connections and apply what we learn in new situations. I also strongly agree with your point about balancing challenge and difficulty. Giving students too much work or tasks far beyond their current level may discourage them rather than help them learn. As teachers, we need to be careful about providing productive challenges while also giving students the support they need.
Hey Amena! I totally agree with how teachers have to make an effort to make the learning process easy. Since being in college I have had to also take harder math classes and I have realized how math can be really hard for students. I have a better understanding of what struggles can arise and how defeating it can feel. However, I feel like in order to create an environment where this kind of learning can happen it takes a lot of effort on the teacher side of things as well.
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