[This post and the next are my labor of love. If there’s one thing I feel confident about implementing in the classroom, it’s problem solving. I hope some of this will be helpful. I'm breaking it into two parts so I don't bore or discourage you—and because I need a breather.]
I’ve posted a fair share of classroom lessons and pictures here and on my now-defunct 180 blog. But I'm afraid those posts may seem too polished—unintentionally unhelpful—for teachers trying to implement problem solving, whiteboarding, 3-Act lessons, or any task-based activity.
So this is me getting real. Deconstructing the structure of a lesson. Taking small bites. Spitting out what doesn’t work. Because if it’s not real to you, it won’t happen for your kids.
A Few Prerequisites First
You care that kids learn something meaningful during your 45 minutes with them. Not just “something.” Meaningful. What did you intend for them to learn today?
You might fail at implementing a 3-Act lesson. Then fail again. And again. But don’t give up. Kids need you to persevere—it’s the same perseverance you ask of them (MP1). Cry at home. Bitch to a friend. Eat ice cream. Drink something stronger if you need to. Get a punching bag. Just don’t give up.
Accept that you’ll leave some kids behind some days. You’re not a miracle worker. Neither am I. The myth of 100% engagement 100% of the time was sold to us by snake oil salesmen. You’ll reach and motivate the ones you can. That’s real. And that’s enough.
Surround yourself with helpful colleagues. They eat with you. They remind you to eat. They don’t badmouth kids. They believe Happy Hour was invented for teachers and it’s sacrilege to go without you. If no one’s around and you need to vent, email me: fawnpnguyen at gmail dot com. I’m a better listener than I am a writer.
My Go-To Resources
If budget allows, I highly recommend these:
5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions — Smith & Stein
Thinking Mathematically — Mason, Burton & Stacey
Mindset — Carol Dweck
Dan Meyer’s TED Talk: Math Class Needs a Makeover
Malcolm Swan’s PDF: Improving Learning in Mathematics
The Art of Problem Posing — Brown & Walter (I just borrowed this from UCSB. It’s excellent. Nat Banting reviewed it.)
Step 0: Pick the Right Task
This is everything. Pick the wrong task, and no pedagogy or tech will save you. You’re done. Lesson sucks. Game over.
What makes a task “right”?
It’s age appropriate. Not what some publisher labeled “Grade 6.” What’s appropriate for your students might not be for mine. When in doubt, go a little higher. Don’t underestimate kids. Dan Meyer talks about “low-floor, high-ceiling” tasks and the Ladder of Abstraction.
It has multiple strategies. At least two. A one-strategy task is a cul-de-sac—you hit a wall. And just because you struggled with it doesn’t mean your students will. Maybe they’ll find a more elegant solution. Be humble. Ask a colleague. Or throw it on Twitter. (You do have a Twitter account, right? I’m @fawnpnguyen.) And if you think there’s another way, say so! Kids love helping you see something new.
You’re excited about it. You know what tasks light you up. I always say, “This is my absolute favorite!” and the kids roll their eyes. But they know I mean it. They know I care. And when we care, they care. Don’t fake it.
Throw a curveball. Assign a task that doesn’t match the current topic. (Yes, I said that.) This post is about problem-solving tasks, not exercises. Taco Cart doesn’t need to wait for your Pythagorean Theorem unit. Use it whenever. Be a rebel. Break the sequence. Just make sure it’s still at an appropriate level.
Custom Tailor the Lesson
This part is hard. I don’t care if the Dalai Lama wrote the lesson—I still have to tweak it to work for my kids.
Fix bad handouts. Re-type it. Fix layout. Fix font. Fix graphics. Make sure kids don’t need to flip back and forth between pages.
Ask yourself: Do I need a handout at all? Sometimes it’s better if kids start with blank paper and generate the info themselves. Every question you put on a handout is a question they didn’t get to ask.
Mind your tech. If the activity needs 15 computers and you only have 5, adapt or scrap it. Two kids per computer max. Check links and videos ahead of time. Avoid tech-for-tech’s-sake. A crappy lesson on a fancy screen is still a crappy lesson.