Last spring, I read an article about the positive aspects of wrestling with a difficult task. The article contrasted the U.S. with other countries, showing how our students give up more quickly when faced with complex problems. I've been experimenting with these ideas in my classroom, starting with using the words "struggle", "wrestle", and "experiment" in a positive light.
This month, the kids are trying what I call our 5 Minute Math Struggle. I put a challenging problem on the board, usually something related to real life. They have 5 minutes to try solving it in three different ways, with no help. Even though they are working to get correct answers, the focus is on perseverance and on viewing a problem from many angles. After the 5 minutes are finished, the kids pair up and talk about their strategies and outcomes.
It is so interesting to watch. The first time we tried one of these Math Struggles, a few kids got angry. "This is impossible!" they said, with pained expressions. Some of my students who need support in Math actually did the best. Wrestling with unknowns is not unusual for those kids. The ones who usually understand right away gave up more quickly.
Today, we tried again. We talked about last time, and how they might approach today with a different mindset. One student said, "I can handle the pain this time!" Today, no one gave up. A few were disappointed when the timer went off. Their minds were engaged and they didn't want to stop. Many were excited to show unique solution methods. I'm excited about where this is going and can't wait to see how this affects other subjects too. Soon, I plan to increase the time allowed and the problem complexity. For now, 5 minutes is a long time to stay focused.
During recess, two girls wrote a song about this new process. I love it. It's called "Your Friend Struggling":
Oh, oh, oh….
Struggling, struggling, struggling,
Is so good for you!
Struggling, struggling, struggling,
It will get you through!
Light bulbs are flashing,
Brain cells are dashing,
Connect the dots in your brain,
Don’t fear the pain,
You’re almost to the end…….
Because struggling, struggling, struggling
Is your friend!
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