Recently, I’ve been working with an honors student. He used to breeze through math class before COVID but has now reached a point where he blanks out during tests.
He’s been struggling because he takes too long to solve the problems and ends up running out of time on tests.
However, his issues go deeper than that.
He struggles to connect different concepts. For example, I provide him with three “ingredients” of a problem, but he fails to recognize the “recipe,” making it difficult for him to efficiently combine them in a formula. It’s as if his brain locks up.
So far, we’ve broken down the problem into basic parts. We’ve reinforced the steps through repetition. I’ve encouraged him to write down the steps and reasons, and he’s starting to make progress. But it feels like there is still much more to be done, and he always seems one step behind in preparing for tests.
When I encounter a student with the wrong answer, I resist the urge to correct them outright and inform them of their mistakes while providing the correct answer.
Instead, I work hard to help students arrive at their own conclusions.
They will remember it better if they make the connections themselves.
Here are the five steps I take:
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Before revealing the answers, I have students explain their thoughts.
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I ask them to show their work or describe the steps they took to solve the problem.
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I document their steps for them or encourage them to write them down.
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I encourage them to explain their thoughts even when they believe they have the correct answer.
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Finally, I point out areas they might want to check without revealing why they got it wrong.
Additionally, I go over any errors with them and help them understand the mistakes they made.
Which of these steps makes the most sense to you? What steps do you take to help your students improve their critical thinking?
