Before this learning activity even took place, I made it my goal to try to reach one of my students as best I could from the beginning of the trimester. For privacy's sake let's call him/her "Voltron". Now, "Voltron" was known for being a tough student to work with and I had never had the opportunity to have "Voltron" in my class, but I was ready for the challenge. From the get-go I immediately made it a point to say, "Hi", "Hello", "Hey, howya?" or some sort of greeting (not necessarily one that started with the letter "H" to "Voltron". I was pleased that with a gesture so small I had already cracked the tough outer shell that "Voltron" had placed around him or herself. "Voltron" is in a small class, so that provided me with a unique opportunity to get as much one-on-one conversation in as possible. This also provided positive results. "Voltron" is not a very strong math student, but I believe that he/she has shown improvement this trimester and I hope that the positive connections we have made has had a contribution to that success.
Drew,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that the simple gesture of saying hello and learning a name can have such a great impact. It is the little things in life that are important. Keep us posted on how the relationship progresses!
Little things mean a lot. Sometimes even a hello (or other greeting/acknowledgement that does not begin with H) is enough to take a student from invisible to visible. I hope that the small size of your class will provide even more opportunity to help you make a deeper connection with this student.
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