Miss Lee,
and
Math
Miss Lee started our first math lesson by stating that she believed that all of us were �A� math students (she obviously had not had any kind of chat with my third grade teacher about me). Then she revealed her special contest - the top five math students each month would go with Miss Lee to the local miniature golf course, and have dinner at, of all places, Miss Lee�s house. Teachers had houses? I had never considered such a thing!
I had no hope of winning the contest; I just hoped that I wouldn�t end up on the bottom of the �silver stars� chart, which kept track of our progress. I worked as hard as I could, asked Miss Lee questions during recess and lunch, and agonized over homework; but the chart showed that I was hardly in the top ten, let alone the top five, toward the end of the first month.
Prize announcement day came; that morning, we all crowded immediately around the math chart. Unbelievingly, I stared at the 20 stars next to my name. Miss Lee announced to the class that I, who still didn�t know a numerator from a denominator, was the best math student in the class this month, because I had improved the most; she rewarded my extra exertion with a ten-star bonus. At her house on prize night, Miss Lee told me that effort was the most important quality to bring to any subject.
Hard work, hard-earned confidence, and the knowledge that my teacher was willing to help me above and beyond the call of duty were the key factors in my acquisition of math skills. Children who receive help, support, and positive reinforcement will always improve, even if they do not become Einsteins; every child, at every skill level, deserves to feel worthy and capable.
Math/Science Projects, Lesson Plans, and Academic Papers
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