When students stop at the first difficulty

Manal Raoui  |  manalraoui.com

A student starts a math problem and gets a result that does not fit the information given. They erase it, repeat the same calculation, and abandon the question. A student writing a paragraph may get through one sentence, put down the pen, and wait for the teacher to come by.

Whenever the first approach fails, the work stops. Students can lose useful parts of their work or spend effort repeating an action that leaves them in the same place.

Giving a student the next step may get the work moving again. Here the teacher has examined the difficulty and chosen the change. The student also needs to learn how to use an attempt to locate the difficulty and decide what to change.

Help students examine and revise what they have tried. They identify what they accomplished and where progress stopped. They choose a change that addresses the difficulty, try it, and check what it contributes to the work. They might represent the data differently in a diagram, compare their work with an available example, check a step, or tackle a smaller part of the problem before returning to the whole.

A useful new attempt takes account of what happened in the previous one. A student may realize that the data are clear but the relationship between them is still uncertain, or that their method belongs to a different kind of problem. That information gives them a reason to choose a particular change.

Introduce the visual aid to the class

Use a short example to introduce “I check and improve my attempt.” Show what a student can do when progress stops at a particular point, then keep the aid visible during independent work.

The aid helps students return to what they have already done and decide what they can improve on their own. It leaves the choice of method to the student. Deciding how to seek help is a separate process.

Return to what the attempt reveals

Point to the aid or ask, “Where exactly did you get stuck?” Then ask what they might change and why. After they try it, ask what is clearer.

Leave room for the student to decide, without using hints that quietly steer them to a solution you have already chosen. If the obstacle is a piece of knowledge they do not have, provide it so that further work is possible.

Signs of progress

Success does not require students to resolve every difficulty on their own. Look for students who:

• locate the difficulty more precisely
• keep useful parts of their work
• try a change for a reason and check what it does
• make progress on their own attempt before waiting for the teacher to supply a step

Add individual support where needed

Introduce the aid to the whole class first. Some students will only need a visual reminder. Others will need help interpreting what happened in their attempt or finding a workable change.