tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5964889903484807623.post3865784354868596215..comments2023-12-18T04:44:25.358-08:00Comments on Questions?: Put Some Pants On!David Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06277427735527075341noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5964889903484807623.post-70748573236792130392010-05-03T20:14:20.956-07:002010-05-03T20:14:20.956-07:00You know, Dave, it's funny how many of my 7th ...You know, <b>Dave</b>, it's funny how many of my 7th graders really struggle with the fact that I answer very few questions directly. By the time they are 8th graders, they come to expect it. I try to model risk taking as often as I can. I'm not afraid to try new things, recognize those that don't work, scrap 'em and try again. Sometimes, I have to say, "I don't know." Sometimes I have to let a kid work through a problem in a way that seems way off at first, but then let them know how awesome they are by deciding to take the long way home. <br /><br /><b>Grace</b>,<br />I'm finding that many of the <i>advanced</i> kids actually are less willing to take risks than many of the kids in regular classes. This safety zone is definitely something that I've been working to establish. It takes time, but it's well worth it.David Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06277427735527075341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5964889903484807623.post-29128808034591947632010-05-03T09:58:19.010-07:002010-05-03T09:58:19.010-07:00I love it-- Barry Schwartz's book is one of my...I love it-- Barry Schwartz's book is one of my favorites, especially because I'm painfully indecisive myself, and I think both your analysis of the problem and your metaphor are right on.<br /><br />I've seen teachers effectively build "comfort with being wrong" by explicitly praising effort in a meaningful way. Rather than "thanks for trying," it's "I appreciate you showing courage because your response was reasonable in x and y ways" and "Who is willing to be brave, be bold, and maybe even be wrong?" These teachers build student confidence in the value of risk-taking.gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09629147659164801681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5964889903484807623.post-90626218481509704152010-04-30T10:07:55.165-07:002010-04-30T10:07:55.165-07:00I need to focus on that as well. Almost annually,...I need to focus on that as well. Almost annually, my calculus kids tell me by the end of the year that they felt intimidated by me all year. When I ask why, they say, "Because you're so smart!" So, I think that may sometimes (often) translate into their being reluctant to either ask questions or answer incorrectly when asked during the year.<br /><br />What sort of things are you doing to work on it? Just giving more opportunities to be wrong? More encouragement for the effort? Be wrong yourself in front of them?CalcDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14039458440867020542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5964889903484807623.post-17030981982887383102010-04-28T14:13:09.016-07:002010-04-28T14:13:09.016-07:00The thing that I'm trying to focus on with my ...The thing that I'm trying to focus on with my students right now is being comfortable with being <i>wrong</i> on the first try. Any time we try something new, it's going to trip us up a little. Get comfortable with that, learn from your mistakes and move on.David Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06277427735527075341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5964889903484807623.post-43989127189190347342010-04-27T16:48:05.912-07:002010-04-27T16:48:05.912-07:00I'm sure other courses get this, but I bet thi...I'm sure other courses get this, but I bet this reasoning is somewhat unique to math. Students have been trained to think that there is "one and only one answer" for every math question. So, they are scared to say anything that is not absolutely correct. <br /><br />In my calculus classes, they get mad at me because they will ask something like "Is this method right?" and I won't say "yes" or "no." I usually say, "kind of..." or "almost..." and then try to explain that their reasoning has good parts to it, but they've chosen the wrong method or forgotten a little piece. They don't like it when I won't just tell them definitively that they are right or wrong.<br /><br />Anyhow, as a person who is wedding planning now, I am totally stuck in paradoxes of choice all the time. "What kind of cake do you want?" Geez...I dunno, what are my choices? "Lemon, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, etc etc etc And then there's fillings: caramel, chocolate ganache, lemon curd, strawberries fresh, strawberry icing, raspberry, etc etc etc." Um...I just think cake would be good. I don't know about all that. =PCalcDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14039458440867020542noreply@blogger.com