one of my math sessions

 

        The math session of simplifying fraction in grade 5 was going smoothly. I have explained how to simplify a fraction, starting by determining a factor for the denominator and the numerator together, next divide each of them by the common factor, then writing down the quotient of the division. I have repeated the explanation with other examples when one of my students said he didn’t understand. Then I did a lot of examples on the board. A lot of my students participated to do the work on the board and they explained each step they did.

         I expected after all these examples and all the practicing  everyone in the class will be able to simplify fractions, but I was disappointed when I started asking the other students to simplify fractions on the board, I found that 6 to 7 out of my students don’t even know what is a factor and how to divide and eventually how to simplify.

      At the first moment I thought of repeating the explanation, but I did explain many times, I have to do something else, something that makes these students engaged and motivated and taught them how to simplify in a funny and effective way.

      Then I decided to work with them in groups I thought of having the high and low achievers in the same group where they high achievers can easily help those who don’t know how to simplify fractions yet, but the fact that those students have problems with division and factors will not benefit them if the group working is on simplifying, at the same time the high achievers have mastered the simplifying fractions and they will get bored doing the same thing over and over again.

     So, I found that working in homogenous groups will benefit all the students and it will give me more time to work with those who need more instructions. I have prepared for the high achievers problems and activities related to simplifying fractions that need more thinking and time and group effort to be done and I provide them with the explanation they need.

       With the students who need my help I also grouped them according to their needs a group to work on division first and the other group to work on simplifying step by step, by giving them the time they need, the direct explanation and by breaking down the mission they started to follow up with the class.

   With a lot of instructions and monitoring my students were able to do the work they are assigned to do. The low achievers have done a great work but they still need help with doing the exercises, for this we chose to do it in partner work where one of them have mastered the simplification and the other needs some help. I have explained the role of each one and the job they are going to do. All the students were engaged and happy to work with a partner. The one who was helping felt proud and responsible and took his job seriously and the other felt the love and caring and most of all they were all engaged and motivated.

After this lesson I agreed with the students to have a lot of group and partner work in the math classes and students showed a significant progress and development in math.