On tests, my students have a difficult time following directions simply because they automatically read the problem and work it based on the assumption of knowing what I am asking. (I would consider my direction giving abilities; however, my math coach creates the exams to eliminate bias.)
After contemplating how to reiterate the importance of reading directions, which I have to admit I’ve had a difficulty with my entire academic career, I decided to perform a little demonstration /act at the beginning of class one day.
I took my cardigan of, turned it inside out, and threw it on a nearby desk. I then said, "by raising your hand and being called on, I want you to explain to me how to get this sweater back on". This odd request definitely sparked their interest and hands began to fly into the air. The first request was to pick up the sweater; however, that required a step, so I reached as far as I could, even grunting for dramatic effect. Laughter filled the room followed by a second request of “okay, walk to the sweater and pick it up.” I did as told.
The next student said, “Now turn it right side out so I held the sweater up in front of me, holding it by the shoulders, identified my right side of the sweater, and turned it that way and pushed it toward them as far as I could, right side extended out. Laughter again occurred but also with some feeling like we were making a simple task hard so this sparked even more interest and desire to give me directions. The next comment was, “put your arms in the holes so it did and as one may expect, I had my sweater on backwards.”
This time I could tell laughter was turning to frustration and the kids were “thinking” of a way to relay to me how to perform such a simple task. The next confident student said, “grab the sleeve with your hand and pull it in an opposite way. I did. Then he requested I repeat the same directions followed then with “and put it in the hole”. So naturally of course, I stuck my head through an arm hole (or tried to anyway without ruining my sweater). Again laughter filled the room with “stops”, and “NO, NO, NO, not your head, your arms!” My next attempt involved putting both arms through the same hole. After a couple of more errors, I successfully put on my sweater via their directions. I said, “Okay, what have we learned today?”
“How to put on a sweater?”
“That directions are important.
I remarked, “good, but make that explicit directions. Now what did we also learn by my Oscar award winning performance?”
“How to follow directions.”
“How to dress yourself!”
“I laughed, and said exactly. We must follow directions or we’ll never reach our objective.”
This activity taught us that one must receive clear, concise, orderly directions and one must also follow them in the same manner. Therefore, a lesson was learned by all. (We’ll see after the next exam anyway!)
More Later--------------------------------
