Samantha

Samantha (not Sam; do not call her Sam) joined our 5th/6th period a couple weeks into the school year.

Fifth period was math, sixth period was bInterventionb: a full hour where students with learning challenges had iPads, me, and no curriculum.

It was an absolute dream.

I was quite pleased that my principal trusted me enough to give me a full period to do whatever the hell I wanted to help students learn. Had I known it was my last year in the classroom… I probably would’ve done the same stuff.

Some days, webd edit photos for our 20% Projects.

Some days, webd finish up a math activity from 5th period.

Some days, webd stare at Donte, then estimate how many Donte will fit across the width of the classroom.

Samantha didnbt quite know what to do with my class. It became immediately clear that shebd gotten here (an 8th grader with low basic skills stuck into a double-math period) by using the tried-and-true phrase of the struggling student:

bI donbt know.b

In Teacher Chemistry, IDK + Teacher Redirection = Student Excused.

Without the reagent of Teacher Redirection, the formula falls apart.

In Vaudreybs class, bI donbt knowb doesnbt excuse you from responding:

Vaudrey: Where did this 3x come from? Samantha?
Samantha: I donbt know.
Vaudrey: Ibll come back to you. Victor?
Victor: Ummb& we subtracted 7x and 4x?
Vaudrey: Lorraine?
Lorraine: We subtracted 7x and 4x.
Vaudrey: Samantha?
Samantha: … um b& we subtractedb& 7x and 4x.

I wasnbt surprised to note that she didnbt actually look at the board until she responded.

A few days later, the bDiscuss with your tableb song was playing, and I swung by Samanthabs desk, knelt down, and whispered,

bIbm going to call on you, and you say, bparallelb, got it?b
Her eyebrows shot up and she pleaded, bNo!b
I gave a comforting smile, bThatbs it. Just say, bparallelb. You can do it.b

The song ended and 28 students returned their focus toward the screen at the front.

bBefore we talk about slope, Samantha. Are these lines perpendicular or parallel?b

All 28 students turned toward the new girl. She stared blankly at the board. Come on, Samantha. You gotB this, I thought, my marker in the air. Like my instructions, the marker did not waver, but pointedB straight at her.

Samantha took a breath.

bParallel,b she said.

No question, no raised tone at the end. She was confident. Those two lines are parallel.

I smiled. bGood. Now if these two lines are parallel, then that tells us something about their slope, and I heard some groups talking about it. Ramiro, tell us what your group noticed.b

After a few dozen of those discussions, Samantha began to blossomB into a confident young mathematician. She persevered, she took risks, B she responded well to the guidance of her classmates to fine-tune her ideas, andB she volunteered answers that were way off (a sure sign of trust).

She also gave a fantastic 20% time projectB and even came to me early on to ask about changing her group. bI donbt think [other student] willB work as hard as me. Shebll just slow me down.b

Alright, Samantha. You can work alone.

~Matt “Small Successes” Vaudrey