A Magical Moment

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A Magical Moment

  • April 13, 2022
  • Posted by: Caitlin McCallum
  • Category: Wow Story
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Towards the beginning of the school year, I began teaching my second grader (H.H.) addition.  We had been working on the concept of understanding and completing addition problems independently.  I tried everything I could think of: We used many manipulatives, blocks, a number line, our fingers, and even some physical activities such as hopping out the problem, yet H.H. still struggled.  Try as he might, he just could not complete addition problems independently.  All of a sudden, COVID hit our school and we went virtual the last week of October.

Now, my student had another challenge – Virtual Learning. I met online with little H.H. twice a day throughout the week, focusing on reading in the mornings and math in the afternoons. He needed parent assistance with the technology throughout the week to access his lessons. Fortunately, his father was working from home and was available to set up the computer for him.

Our turning point came during a Thursday math session over Zoom. The lesson was to complete a page of 10 addition problems independently.  Using blocks, we struggled through problems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.  Then it happened. Addition clicked with him. H. H. finally made the “Addition Connection.”  As I read the 8th problem to him, he verbally responded with the correct answer and followed it with the right answers to numbers 9 and 10. WOW! He was so proud of himself!

A second WOW!  immediately followed; Dad just happened to be right there watching him when he made the connection. What a magical moment dad witnessed!  I had Dad write down five more math problems just then, and H. H. continued to WOW both of us. The memory of H.H.’s breakthrough addition moment continues to multiply my joy.

~written by Laurie Mick, LSEM Teacher at Peace Lutheran School in Shelby Twp, MI