So since the time is right and the first month of the year is drawing to a close, I'll give you this small snippet of January at BTE...
Picture it - we're learning about even & odd numbers. Surely by now - they would understand the concept, but you'd be surprised (or maybe not - if you've read any of my other posts). I've painstakingly drawn arrays, showed video clips, taught jingles to get the point across. Foolishly, I truly thought we were ready to complete the all-important ERQ (extended response question, for all you civilians). The question seemed simple enough - see if you can A: figure out the answer and B: explain how you got that answer.
Breanna and Amy are playing with some numbered cards. Amy says there are 5 odd numbers between 8 and 15. Breanna says there are 4. Who is correct?
Seems fairly straightforward, I hope! However, knowing my clientele - I made sure to hold a round table type discussion to determine how one should correctly & completely answer the question. Everyone seemed to be fairly certain of how this should play out. Everyone except "Mitzy". Mitzy is a classic example of why it's dangerous to homeschool your child with no other age appropriate social contact and then throw them in a classroom halfway through first semester. So parents - take heed - don't be a Mitzy Mom.
Mitzy is studiously bent over her paper, busily scribbling what I hoped were eloquent explanations for Breanna and Amy's childhood choices. I quickly dropped that delusion and clamped my lips together before emitting a guffaw. Yes- that is a strong word choice. Yes - it is needed. Here is why. While discussing how best to answer the problem, the class had talked about drawing pictures, making number lines and using words to show their strategies. Poor Mitzy had taken that first part to heart. Instead of a structured array or boring number line, she had drawn a PICTURE.
If I had thought to save it, I would have. And I would have uploaded it right HERE. Then, you could appreciate a full page picture (covering the lines that were meant for a written explanation) that depicted two pony-tailed smiling girls sitting at a table with numbered cards and WORD BUBBLES showing their respective answers to the posed question. After my subdued laughing spell, I composed myself enough to ask her (in my best teacher voice) to "tell me about her answer".
Without batting an eye and with a genuine belief in the legitimacy of her actions, Mitzy said "You said draw a picture." Now, granted, I had said draw a picture... followed by the terms number line, array, and labels. And out of all that - the only thing Mitzy had honed in on was that one word PICTURE. Classic Bug Tussle. Classic Mitzy. So after explaining the correct method of answering a question post-Kindergarten, I walked away. But I couldn't help but ask as I sauntered to the next student, "Mitzy, how are you at Pictionary?"
XO,
