A collection of moments…

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A collection of moments…

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  1.  In my math sessions, we have been working on multiplication pretty heavily and the vocabulary words, factor and product. Students want to look at me cross eyed when I ask them what these two numbers are called as I point to the factors of an equation written on the whiteboard. They will say the word ‘factors.’ Then comes the question, “What does a factor times a factor equal?” and most of them will say the word product. This exchange seemed to have no meaning at all to them until a 6th grader one day raised her hand after we had said this. She said, “This really is useful. I actually answered a question when our teacher asked what a number was. I said it was a factor and I was right.”
  2. We are working through a number of activities in math using the concept of a diner. Using orders for various menu items to compute food cost, tax, tip, and round these two items and then get a grand total. These problems have been set up like a basic
    accounting sheet so that they have to organize their work and keep track of what step. Students have had to use addition, multiplication, rounding skills and subtraction when they were to compute change. Students do this at their own pace as they pick their own meal from the menu. Each receives individual attention and the same questions over and over to help them practice how to do these every day math skills. There have been numerous comments to the effect of, “I did not know that food was so expensive.” “I did not know you paid tax on everything.” “Oh, that is why when I bought something, it cost more than the price.” “I didn’t know you should tip.”
  3. In Reading sessions, students have a chance to look at my pun and Knock knock joke calendars. Sometimes they get the pun/joke and sometimes they don’t. When they do, they really enjoy it and it expands their use of words. For example “I would like the recipe to bake bread, but I am on a knead to know basis.” I had to explain it and they learned the word knead and need are homophones. Or “Did you hear about the explosion at the cheese factory? There was de bris all over.” Once I explained it they thought it was funny. But it was a struggle.
  4. Student B came to Concordia as a 7th grader in the fall 2024. He could read about the first or second grade level. His vocabulary was pretty good orally but he could barely read 42 words per minute correctly in the Acadience benchmark assessment. He has
    worked very hard despite a huge amount of obstacles including illness, being told he could not learn at the old school, and lacking motivation. Today he is reading about 80 words correctly a minute. He is pleased when he is reminded of this. He is working at a 4th grade level in math and is very honest about what he does or does not know which makes his progress all the more more satisfying. He is a student who is kind to others, definitely a teenage boy who wants to fit in, and has not been pushed to do his best. But despite all of this he has still progressed. He chose to be baptized this year and often refers to his baptism as important to him. It will be difficult to let him go to high school knowing he has lots of strikes against him but he is more capable now than he would have been without the extra support of LSEM.