What do kids hate to hear in math class? Today I started teaching two homeschool coop math classes. One group was 5th/6th grade and the other group was 7th/8th grade. While these are homeschoolers they have varied background experiences and most have been in public or private school in the past. Taking the idea from Jo Boaler’s Classic Week of Inspirational Math, I asked them what they hate to hear in math class from either the teacher or other students.
Their answers (and the explanations they gave) were eye opening. (Are kids really telling each other they suck that often?)
Here is what kids hate to hear in math class:
- That’s easy (mentioned by a full half of the kids)
- How don’t you know how to do this? (multiple mentions)
- Just put that number there
- No, you’re supposed to do this
- That’s not how you do it. (multiple mentions)
- You suck (multiple mentions)
- No animals (that one made me laugh)
- kids bragging about being smarter (multiple mentions)
- other kids shouting out the answer when you’re trying to finish (multiple mentions)
- kids being loud for no reason
- other kids complaining about it being too hard
- other kids talking about other topics
- when someone bangs on the table to rush you (multiple mentions)
- over explaining
- teacher making me feel bad for not knowing the answer
One of my most important goals as a math teacher is to build a community where students support and encourage each other. I want kids to feel that they have an environment conducive to developing their natural strengths while working on the areas that are harder for them without stress, fear, or discouragement. In my early posts on this site I wrote about What Is Most Important in Math? (short answer: it’s mindset) and Building on Strengths in Teaching Math. These statements from kids really solidified what I know about making a classroom where kids can learn.
