So, I was at a halloween party the other night, talking with another teacher, and I had a thought. All through school, from first grade through a senior in high school, teachers are constantly saying 'Check your work! Check your work!'. The question is, do kids really automatically know how to check their work? Or do they have to be taught how to check their work? Sure kids who are self-starters can figure it out on their own... I don't think anyone ever told me, 'You must take notes, and write down everything that gets written on the board'. I knew I would need the information at some point in the future for a test, so I did it. But how about those kids who are not self-starters? Do they automatically know how to go about checking their work???
So, that is the question. In the last few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that him checking his work, and checking it thoroughly, is the key to many problems around here...if not all of our problems. No more careless or silly mistakes, no more frustration when the problem is marked wrong, no more emotions running amuk.....etc... He knows the material. It's the silly mistakes that are bringing him, and consequently us, down.
The only problem is that he says that he's checking, but the mistakes are still getting through in the end. He also complained that checking causes him to sit and work all of the problems through a second time. Something that he is not too terribly excited to do. I have started requiring him to turn in his checking as well as his work, but sometimes he works the problem with the same mistake when he checks it, and other days I am not diligent and do not go looking for his checking and it slips through the cracks. On those days there is no record of his checking, so I can't be sure he did indeed check. On a good day, when the checking is also turned in, and the problems are wrong, I can then refer back to the checking to see what went wrong, which I really like.
So this week....an experiment in checking. I have worked a bunch of problems myself. Many of them are wrong, but there are a few that are worked correctly thrown in there as well. Today, he will get to play teacher and correct my work and give me a grade...and consequently get a grade for his 'work', if you will. I have made many of the same mistakes that he commonly makes. We'll see if he can spot them. Perhaps that gives him added motivation. Perhaps it draws his attention to what to look for. I'm not sure of any other way to do it at the moment. Any suggestions?
