Throwing in the towel

Last week I was at my wit's end with trying to teach a student how to add and subtract fractions with uncommon denominators. I had been teaching how to do it for two weeks, and yet, when she tried, she had no clue what to do. It came to the point where I was helping her so much that I was ignoring the other kids, to no avail.

Yesterday I got the feeling that she was starting to get it. I saw her correctly pick a common denominator for 7 and 5, but I wasn't sure if she did it herself or looked onto someone else's paper (which she does). I also told her that she was on her own, that I wouldn't do it for her. She is very much coddled by her parents, so much so, that she is impaired by them doing everything for her. If I could liken it to anything, it's like riding a bike with training wheels on when you've been riding a bike for years; at some point, the wheels need to come off, and they need to try it on their own, even if they fall at first.

But today, lo and behold, the child actually got it. We reviewed for a test on fractions today using dry erase boards, which the kids love. They love the colors they use, the sense of urgency and the perceived creativity involved. As I wrote problem after problem on the board, I watched her work, and she was actually getting it. When she solved the problems, she held them up to me and showed me her work, and I gave her a big smile and thumbs up. We wrapped up our problems and got ready for lunch, and I could tell she was excited. As we walked down the hall, she asked me if she could do more problems, because she was finally getting it. Of course I said yes.

Kids can be so frustrating, and I know that many teachers give up long before some kids have the chance to understand. Although I had mentally resigned myself to the fact that she may not get it, I never gave up on her, although I was close to it. Today was finally the reward.