3 Warning Signs of Teacher Hijacking Thinking

Well, I guess I have to say I do this too. I try not to, and use my own strategies in teaching to prevent it, but it sometimes happens anyways.

Last summer I took an oil painting class up in Carmel. One day I was painting a boat at a harbor and I distinctly remember in the most disagreeable way, how my instructor took over my painting and totally painted the whole thing! Outlining, details, everything! I tried to tell him OK, and to stop him, but he just kept at it, much to my dismay. It was not my boat. Finally he left and I painted over his painting! When he came back he scolded me, accusing me of changing the boat! Whose painting was it, anyway!

So I get this. If we are helping our children learn, it means we are not doing the math for them.

I like to bring up student samples and then share them on the overhead and we can examine different strategies. Yet, seldom this year can I get a child to share their strategy verbally. Maybe next year.

Another strategy is to just pretend not to know. I have my students in groups, and let them work it out amounst themselves. The best problems are ones that come up naturally in the class environment, that they are really involved with, rather than abstract book questions. They are more related and can make more sense of something they really know.

I have another similar issue to teacher hijacking, in that I have one student who is far above the others and who will answer every question, and give away every possible strategy if given half a chance. He is a wonderful enganged student, but it creates quite a odd climate in my classroom. Of course I work with him so that they all have a chance, but he is so eager and basically I have had to silence most of his participation in order for the other 30 students to have a chance to think. He still dominates!