Over the past month, my 5th-grade students have been covering division. As our unit came to a close last week, I thought it would be fun to reward their efforts by throwing a pizza party after the unit exam.
To earn the party, they'd need to score an average of 80% as a class. When I explained the expectation, I received two very different reactions: "We're never going to be able to earn the party" or "If most of us get a B, we can have a party?! Let's goooooo!"
I tried giving my pessimistic students a pep talk and stressing the importance of practice and studying, but realistically, they had a valid concern. Despite our efforts, they still didn't understand division because of missed instruction during the pandemic.
I can still hear them repeating the steps to long division as a class: "Divide, multiply, subtract, bring it down, repeat."
Unfortunately, knowing the steps and executing the steps are very different.
The adult version of this is when we set a goal to start a new fitness routine or save more money and just can't seem to find momentum. Just because we know what we're supposed to do, doesn't always translate to doing it. And yes, I'm guilty.
Usually, there's a reason for this behavior - we're not motivated to take on the goal, we don't have the time or resources to execute, or we're skipping the basics and jumping ahead (like planning to workout seven days/week after being sedentary for years).
For some of my students, long division was challenging to execute because they struggled with the basics: multiplication, addition, and subtraction. They were running a half-marathon without ever getting comfortable running the 5K.
In case you're wondering, one of my classes did earn the party, but I will spend the final two weeks of school reviewing basic operations with both classes. Why? The only way they're going to be more successful with big math concepts is if they can execute the basics.
, the same goes for you too. As you set new goals and intentions this summer, be sure to build on a solid foundation. You have to walk before you run.
P.S. Thanks to everyone who donated to our class pizza party! In addition to pizza, wings, and beverages, I purchased 10 decks of flashcards, Multiplication BINGO, number sense games, subtraction lap boards, and a final batch of class snacks including popsicles for today.
