Let's Start At The Beginning

In Heather's Grade 2/3 class she wanted to start problem solving with her students on a more regular basis. In the lesson we co-taught we wanted the students to get comfortable with some of the logistics of problem solving.  Things like working in pairs, using a marker to write their answer down, and crossing out wrong answers.  These are all huge steps students have to overcome in order to show their thinking.  We also hoped to see what different strategies the students used to help her get an idea of where to go in her lessons (Assessment for Learning)

For some students, they took to the challenge like it was nothing new.  For some, they needed to be silly with the markers and draw on their hands for a few minutes before they got to work.  Getting the students to write an answer down was the hardest part.  Many of them were afraid to make a mistake and wanted to make sure that they they put down the right answer - or put down what Heather and I were looking for. 

When we congressed, we had the students look at how there were many different strategies that they could have used to solve this problem.  We labeled each strategy, and then posted them on the black board in a Bansho so the students could see what their next logical strategy was.

It was a very successful first try at problem solving (and co-teaching).  At times we worry about how "messy" the student work is.  But we need to remind ourselves that it is okay to be "messy" as it shows us how our students think, and how we can help them become clearer in their though process.