Tag: risk

  • Pancakes


    A few times a month, I’ll make peanut butter pancakes for the kids.

    Today, I realized that I know what I need to make pancakes, and if the Betty Crocker cookbook was stolen or lost, I could probably get pretty close. If I go a bit over or under the 1 cup of flour, it’s no big deal, but I’ve had baked goods with too much of one ingredient, and it’s a real bummer.

    Now, I’m unwilling to give my kids a mouthful of chaulky pancakes, so I use the cookbook every time,B since I am scared of making a mistake and the resulting fallout.

    Have you ever had a student say, “I don’t get it,” unsure of where to start? Or they do one or two steps correct, but want some assurance before proceeding?

    I sure have. Like they can’t recall if it’s 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda or of baking powder?


    There’s no point here, just a connection that was too long for a tweet.

    Here’s what I’m still wondering:

    • How can we better get students to differentiate between low-stakes and high-stakes?
    • Should we have high-stakes stuffB at all?
    • B What is the math-class equivalent of tossing a botched bowl of ingredients and starting over?

    ~Matt “Betty Crocker” Vaudrey

  • Proof My Class Culture is Working

    Kylia rings her bell during Review Jeopardy today. “Is this right?”

    “Show the class,” I say.

    “Yeah, but is it right?” Kylia still holds her whiteboard up to her shoulders, hiding it.

    “I don’t know,” I say. [But IB do know. I’mB lying to her. Teaching by deceit.]

    Next to her, Myles says, “Just show it. The class will tell you if it’s wrong.”

    “Yeah!” shouts Hillary, across the room. “Take a risk!”

    Yes!
    Yes!

    I teared up a little bit. I’ve worked very hard for years to create a place where incorrect answers are a welcome step in understanding.

    They’re not wrong answers, they’re just not correct yet.

    After hearing me say it dozens (maybe hundreds) of times, they are starting to parrot back what I taught them.

    … isn’t that what modern education is all about? Regurgitating at just the right time?

    Hopefully, they don’t forget about risk-taking after the state test is over.