Wednesday. Second period.
I was already frazzled. We had a late start due to state testing, and then they threw a fire drill on top of that.
But we were back in the room, and I had the notes projected as I explained how to do the problems.
We're doing trigonometry, basically the intro stuff. They are just learning about sine, cosine, and tangent. So, I was taking it slow.
I had a problem up. We were using tangent. I had them put the calculations into their calculators. And the number they got was not the number on my key.
(I know what I'm doing, but I also have a key with the problems worked out in front of me. I mostly glance at it for the answers.)
So, I went and got a calculator and punched in the numbers myself. I got the same answer.
I wrote it down and moved on.
As I worked the next problem, I looked back at the previous problem, and I realized what the issue was.
I did it wrong.
I erased the problem, continued working the example I was on, and got the answer in the key. Then I went back to the previous problem.
"What did I do wrong here?" I asked them.
Elliot replied that I used cosine instead of tangent (it was supposed to be tangent). Elliot is one of the students who's doing well. (Although, he was in the group of four boys who all got the same wrong answers on the test. I assume the others copied him.)
I agreed, and I then did the problem correctly (getting the same answer as the key). Then I moved on.
I mean, I felt stupid. I've been going over how to figure out which function to use for which sides are given in the problem, and I go and get it wrong.
But then again, mistakes happen. And I caught it before we got too far.
I try to let them know that it's okay to make mistakes. I do it too.
But it still rankled.
I'll get over it. Eventually.
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It was a good teaching moment, though. Not only did you show that mistakes can be made by anyone and how to react to them, but you used your mistake as part of the lesson.
ReplyDeleteI try. This is not the first time I've made an error in front of a class.
DeleteSometimes the answer key is wrong too! I never got past geometry, so the only experience I have with cosine or tangent is in crossword puzzles. And they usually only use sine. My oldest says everyone should be required to take trig. Or, maybe he said calculus. Probably both, he loved/s math!
ReplyDeleteThat's why when they were all getting a different answer, I assumed it was the key and not that I'd used the wrong function. I don't know that trig is useful for everyday, but I think many would benefit from some understanding of calculus.
DeleteYou taught them something more important than math
ReplyDeleteI hope so. They got the message again today when I wrote the wrong number on the example I was doing...
DeleteWay to go, Elliot! Yes, it is a valuable lesson. I took trig in high school and remember none of it. Might be fun to read an intro book and see if any of it sounds familiar!
ReplyDeleteThat's one of those things that would haunt me forever. You handled it well.
ReplyDeleteI never did trig.
ReplyDeleteMistakes happen. Very human. I always acknowledge them when they happen. Students never bother, they appreciate the teacher's modesty.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. They've been pretty quiet around me, so it's hard to tell what they're thinking.
DeleteGreat job teaching - mistakes happen, correction of mistakes required, and not blaming anyone while learning.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't like it was their fault. I made the mistake.
Delete