delightful and charming, and he often spoke of his
grandchildren. He had returned to school to learn the
restaurant business.

One young student revealed that he had wona
number of state awards in music. He could play

several instruments and was a member of a small band.

He was proud of his accomplishments and planned to
be a music major.

Another student was a cocktail waitress at a first-
class hotel. She was looking forward to a career in
child development. Through the interviews I met two
security guards, a disc jockey who was planning to
study architecture, and an air conditioning and refrig-
eration technician. All of these students were in Math
001 to enhance their skills and pursue career goals.

I helped one young lady who was having extreme
difficulty in the class discover, after years of struggle,
that she had a learning disability. She told me that she
always thought she was “just dumb,” and she was
relieved to find out it was something else. She set a
goal to become an automobile repair specialist and has
since taken a job in the automotive department of a
major store.

I sent a note to a student who had stopped coming
to class and asked her if she needed extra help. My
note so impressed her that she resumed her course
work after family problems were resolved.

*

After all of the interviews were completed, I took
classtime to introduce cach student to the class and
mention a little bit about the job he or she held. This
question was then asked of each: “How do you use
math on your job?” Some interesting answers
emerged; and when a student was stumped for an
answer, the rest of the class made suggestions. Math
came alive through this exercise, and each student
showed a genuine interest in the work of others.

*

l enjoyed interviewing the students in Math 001.
Each was pleasant, interesting and enjoyable. | am not
sure how much the interviews helped to improve math
skills, but I do know that they were very important to
me as I prepared for each class. Twenty-two of the 24
students were employed, and | was impressed with the
responsibility each assumed. I no longer thought of
them as unmotivated, tardy, truant, irresponsible and
totally disinterested people. I had underestimated
their capabilities. My view of them changed from
students needing remediation, to successful and
responsible adults. Each had strengths and qualities
that could not be demonstrated in a simple math

mathematics, they were proficient and even excellent
in areas that were difficult, challenging and required
accountability.

classroom. Although these students were not strong in a

 

*

Reflecting upon many years of teaching, I feel guilty
over my possible lack of empathy toward some of my
poorest students. Perhaps | would have been a more
effective teacher if I had taken the time to know my
students and show them that I cared. | realized that I
was more approachable to students and that they
shared more openly with one another. Because I took
an interest in each student, all students took an interest
in each other’s accomplishments, progress and jobs. |
was not viewed as one apart and in charge. Class was
a pleasant, fun experience; and | was the facilitator.

Seventeen of the original 24 students finished the
class witha “C” or better. This enabled them to
progress to the next math course. While this retention
rate is not spectacular, it is certainly better than the
department average of 50%.

For me, this experience is worth repeating. | expect
to conduct interviews in all of my classes next semes-
ter. While it is time-consuming and sometimes incon-
venient, the rewards are great. Perhaps this technique
will not be effective in every class, but I will continue to
pursue adaptive methods of teaching which make ae
knowledge come alive and learning fun.

 

Ellen Milosheff, Chair, Mathematics

For further information, contact the author at Triton
College, 2000 Fifth Avenue, River Grove, IL 60171.

%

 

 

Suanne D. Roueche, Editor

January 27, 1989, Vol. XI, No. 3

©The University of Texas at Austin, 1989
Further duplication is permitted by MEMBER
institutions for their own personnal.

 

—

INNOVATION ABSTRACTS Is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD),

EDB 348, The University of Texas at Auson, Austn, Texas 78712, (512) 471-7545. Subscnptions are available to nonconsor-
tium members for $40 per year. Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation
Issued weekly when classes are in session during fall and spring terms and once dunng the summer. ISSN 0199 106X