What Persistence Looks Like

I believe that I am a good teacher because I am persistent.  None of my students want to fail.  They may give up because they don't see another option.  I love watching the light bulb pop on for someone who might have otherwise given up.  Recently, I had that moment for myself.

I was teaching Virtually Montessori's Create a Geometry Star Lesson.  I could not understand why one of my students, an otherwise gifted artist, was struggling to create her star.  I sat next to her, I modeled for her, and I held the ruler while she drew the lines.  Still her project looked more like a polygon than a star.  I walked away for a bit, not sure what to do next.

I started helping a different student who had missed the first part of the lesson.  "Can my lines cross?" he asked as he was starting the second part.

"Yes, they can," I replied and the light went on.  "Carol, did you know your lines can cross?"

She shook her head.  "Oh, well they can, see?"  Now she could make her star.  It was beautiful as I expected it would be.

I teach my students to be persistent with a task.  Sometimes, they need to walk away for a moment to find a new approach.  This isn't giving up...even though it might look like it at first.

Here is Virtually Montessori's Create a "Geometry Star" Lesson -- a CCSS linked freebie from TpT.