Thursday, November 5, 2020

Skipping Steps

In A/B/C and the problem with skipping a step from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

“Skipping a step is frustrating and usually futile.”

Many knitters have had the debate on whether they are a process knitter or a product knitter. A process knitter enjoys the process of knitting and likes the different stitches and techniques that are used. They are in no hurry to get to the end of the project. A product knitter likes to get to the end result. They endure the process in order to get the final product, Whenever I start a new project, I’m always anxious to get to the end product. I sometimes get impatient when I have to go through the process of getting to the end. I want the product now. I want to skip the steps I need to take in order to get to the end but if I do that, I won’t get the end result that I want.

I feel that many of my struggling learners feel the same way. They don’t like learning and endure it so that they can get to the end result of graduation. They just want to learn what they need in order to get the necessary credits they need.

I believe it is my job to try to help my students get through the process. If I can find shortcuts or ways to make learning easier for them, it will help make their journey more enjoyable.

One way I can do this is by helping them find their learning style. Are they auditory, visual, or tactile-kinesthetic learners? By finding which style usually works best for them, I can gear my lessons to meet their needs. By insisting that students learn in a style that doesn’t work for them can lead to frustration for everyone.

Sometimes a student will want to skip steps in order to get the end result which usually ends up wrong. If I bake a cake, I need to follow the recipe and not skip any steps or my cake will turn out to be a disaster! Imagine a student learning addition of 2 three-digit numbers and skips the lessons on place value or carrying a number. They will end up with the wrong answer and get very frustrated trying to master the skill.

I try to write out procedures for students to follow when they are learning something new. It is like a recipe for mastering the skill. I tell the students they are going to “cook” a new skill just like learning to cook a new meal. As they learn the skill, they can refer to the procedures until eventually, they won’t need to do that anymore. They will have practiced it enough that they won’t need to look at the recipe. This seems to really help them get through the process easier.

How do you help your students get through the process of learning? Please share.

Photo by Max Harlynking on Unsplash

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