Split the Difference

I know I am always bragging about Andrew. If it isn’t for his school accomplishments, it’s simply because he is so darn fun to be with. But on Tuesday Andrew met a personal goal, and I am proud of him.

Four days a week, Mrs. Bidiman’s 3rd/4th grade class, like many schools, does timed math-fact tests. She gives her students 1 minute 10 seconds to complete 25 problems correctly. The pages of math-facts are divided according to number groups. For example: when Andrew arrived in September he was tested daily on his addition facts starting with the 1’s and moving sequentially through to the 12’s group. Then he did the same with subtraction and multiplication. Mrs. Bidiman repeats each sequence twice to make sure the facts are completely memorized.

Once Andrew completed the multiplication series, Mrs. Bidiman didn’t have any division sheets for him. She has never had any student make it through their multiplication facts in a school year. (crazy, but true) She is a very busy teacher, so I found Andrew some division tests on the internet and printed them out for her. I nonchalantly shared with Andrew that when he makes it though his 12’s division, we will celebrate with a banana split at the Galley Restaurant. In three weeks time Andrew had reached his math goal and the banana split.

What is fun about this process is that the class is rising to his level. Last time I checked, his classmate Zhane was on her 9’s division. Pretty cool for her!

There are folks out there that don’t believe in rote learning or timed math tests at all, but for Drew, memorizing this information has a been a huge confidence builder and gateway to advanced problem solving, fractions and simple algebra.

And for those of you that don’t think Andrew memorizing his math facts is a big deal…I tend to agree with you…but for Drew, who is surrounded by low expectations of learning (not just here in Hoonah but in Medford too), I am proud of him for not being afraid to be different, to work daily for a goal and to have fun in the process. Not to mention enjoying every bite of his banana split.

Good Work, Andrew!