Chatboards
Classifieds
Lessons
Jobs
Bonus Box
By Rick Morris
BTW: The easiest way to do this is to put the student entries into two piles as you go through them. Correct submissions are placed in one pile and incorrect ones go in the other. When you’ve finished dealing with Bonus Box for the day, hand your helper both sets of papers so that pluses and minuses can be recorded on the Check Off List.
Reality: As already mentioned, you can use a regular grade sheet for the record keeping.
Here’s a sample that, among things, details the fact that Miranda has yet to solve any of the puzzles correctly. The string of minuses would remind me to sit with her at some point and figure out how to boost her math skills. (Research indicates that mastery of any subject matter–but especially reading and math–comes from two things: direct instruction and follow-up tutoring.) It was this simple student-compiled record, however, that helped me to identify Miranda as one the students in need of some tutoring.
Bonus: The record sheet comes in very handy whenever a student tells me he’s finished with his math assignment and is wondering what to do.
Mr. Morris
Reaching for the Bonus Box grade sheet:
Hey, let’s see how you’ve been doing with the Bonus Box, shall we?
Challenge: See if you can reach out to the slackers. Before you’ll be able to do that, though, you’ll need to know who’s makin’ it and who’s fakin’ it.
Speaking of which, check out Nathan in the sample above. As you can clearly see, he has yet to even try to solve any of the posted puzzles. Hmmmm. Not good. Sounds as if it’s time for a Bonus Box wake-up call.
With the grade sheet in hand as evidence, you could call Nathan over for a private discussion regarding: 1) his lamentable lack of effort; 2) your awareness of, and concern arising from, this lack; and 3) how the Bonus Box is just not that tough to do. Kind of a what-doncha-git-about-the-Bonus-Box dialogue all conducted, mind you, in a safe and non-threatened manner.
It’s these kinds of interactions, I’ve found, these sincere and direct moments of persuasion, that can really help to get a student off the bench and into the game. And, once again, it was the simple record sheet of extra credit math being kept by a student helper that prompted the decision to intervene and, in so doing, make a difference in another student’s attitude about math.
Something to ponder: Is it the math reinforcement or the opportunity to instill in students a growing sense of initiative and self-determination that’s the more significant benefit?
