If you are a teacher what will you do?

Question

Here's my problem: My class isn't doing well in Maths. My teacher makes the smarter ones sit with the less smart, in this way, she expects the smarter to teach the less smart. This doesn't seem working. Our results still come out bad, 7/46 pass the daily test. What should she do?
Sort smarter ones to a different class? In hopes that she can raise the standard of education for the smarter ones and to pay close attention 2 the less smarter ones
Any other ideas?

Answer 1

Math is generally a "if-u-know-u-know and if-u-don't-know-u-don't-know" subject. Its a good idea to sort the smarter ones to a different class. In this way, a teacher will be able to compromise and set a certain target and standard in the class.

The poorer ones will then get to learn at a slower speed which I think is necessary for a subject like math. I'm teaching a subject called home economics, its basically more scientific than mathematical. However science and math are generally under the same category, as in its not really factorial like subjects eg. history. Concepts have to be taught and understood.

So, what I feel is that your teacher hasn't reached the optimum teaching standards required by your class. Maybe you could let her know and explain to her that it might be better if she went through the topics slowly and elaborated more on certain concepts in order to do the subject well.

Tutorials are also a good idea. These will only concern the weaker ones. I feel that it'll be essential for them.

So wish you luck. May your class' math improve by the miles.

Answer 2

She needs to slow down and try some different teaching methods. The only place where I know students have failed in a vast majority has been college, and while that's not good, it would be the only place deemed acceptable. If this is grade school as it seems, there is something wrong with the way she is teaching the subject matter.

If I was teaching your class, I have found that more interactive projects got my kids involved. For example, My students struggled in spelling so I turned it into a game called "stump the teacher." I'd slow down and all week we'd work on so many words at a time and then on friday they were put into teams and played against me.

They had to spell the words in their vocabulary and they could quiz me on any word they wanted out of a dictionary as long as they could define as well as spell it. If you beat the teacher, the class won prizes. They only beat me once, but the time they did, they won a doughnut party.

Now, I know thats not math, but hopefully it gave you some sort of idea. It gets the kids involved and gives them something to work for.

But what she really needs is to find out what she is doing wrong. It's either her teaching style or its a combination of that and the teachers before her. My money is on the former.

Answer 3

When I have had this problem I have basically done "individual" lesson plans. The part of the class who isn't doing as well as they should be gets an easier assignment so they can build up their skills, and the "smarter" ones get assignments on the same subject material but more challenging and possibly beyond what they have to learn in the curriculum. It is really not popular right now to separate children who have different academic abilities where I am from, so I doubt the teacher would be able to go that route.

Answer 4

Tutorial classes for the less smarter students would help a lot. This is a smaller group and the teacher could focus on the specific topic that is difficult for them.

Answer 5

If only seven of forty-six pass the daily test, the teacher has introduced new lessons before the previous ones have been mastered by most of the class. It is time to note what exactly has not been learned and go back and work on those lessons again one at a time until they have been mastered.

Answer 6

Form groups with the students. Keep the passing students moving forward in a group. Get the students closest to passing, tutor them to improve to passing. Keep those farthest from passing in a group to review the skills they need. As the closest-to-passing start passing the tests, move the next group up. Keep going until everyone is on level. Get parent volunteers if needed, to review skills with the students during tutoring.

Answer 7

somebody better have a talk with the english teacher too...