But it's simple...

Teaching is a constant battle against boredom and frustration – particularly when the subject is math. Most of my students put forth some effort when I’m teaching language arts, but at least two thirds of the class shuts down mentally as soon as I start writing numbers on the board. They have somehow been conditioned to think mathematics is an impossible subject that is fully beyond their realm of understanding. This is an outlook that I am constantly fighting. I have tried every manner of getting them to believe they can learn simple math. I tell them I hated math as a kid, but now enjoy it. I try to market topics as “easy” or “fun.” But let’s face it; they know it’s all a charade. Math is difficult – particularly if you were never taught basic addition and subtraction. I’m never going to convince my students that math is simple, but I still try.

“How many of you like language arts?” I ask as a walk into form III.

“All of us.” Good answer.

“Well, today what we are going to learn in math will be simple as long as you know how to read. If you like language, you will like this math.”

Chatter. Fidgeting, Fighting over a pen. (Eh bo! Gimme di pen bo!) They’re clearly not going for my selling point. I forge ahead anyway. 

The topic of the lesson is using proportions. My goal is not even to reach the actual math, but simply to get students to thinks about what problems are asking. 

“It takes three students ten minutes to sweep the compound. How long will it take six students?”

“Thirty minutes!”

“One hour!”

“Six minutes!” 

I beg them to stop shouting random numbers and pay attention. First, I just want them to tell me if there are more students will it take more or less time to do the work. I am trying to slow down my teaching to make things clear. I try not to think about the public exam looming in the near future; it doesn’t matter if I manage to cover all the material. What matters is that the students understand what I teach them. I know this in theory, but I still lack patience. If they would only listen to me… I think, trying to push down the rising frustration.

Then one of the students chimes in: “Oh, but this is simple today. Yesterday I did not listen to anything you said.”

I wonder if my students will ever pick up on the correlation between actually listening to what I am saying and understanding the material . . .