Teaching Ideas

by Virginia Nelson

I am a 3rd grade teacher and most of my young students are too embarrassed to openly let me know in class that they have difficulty understanding the lessons. I tried asking them to approach me after classes if they needed help but most of them were only too eager to get out of school after classes, so I could help but a few students. I decided that the only way was to help them during the class. All I needed was to know which child was having a hard time. I placed 2 chips on top of their tables, one black, the other white. Then before the class started, I told them that the chips were my helping tools. The black chip meant that a student had questions and the white chip meant that a student understood the lessons. I asked them to place the black chip on top of the desk if they didn't understand and keep the white chip under the desk, or vice versa. The whole class agreed to my plan. So while I lectured, I walked around the class taking note of the chips on top. After each discussion, I would give an exercise. I asked a few white chip students to do it on the board, then I visited the black chips and helped them with the exercise making sure each of them understood the lesson. After a week of using the system, all of my students passed their weekly Math exams. I'm still using the chips and getting positive results unto this day.

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