Hi there, fellow teachers! My name is Mr. Adams, and I am a middle school math teacher in a small town in Idaho. I have a story that I want to share which involves a bright but difficult student named Billy, and how I managed to turn his lack of interest in math into his new favorite subject.
Billy is a 7th grader in my class, who just never seemed interested in math or learning in general. Every day, he would come to class, sit down, and not participate at all. He would simply stare out the window or doodle on his notebook. This was frustrating for me because I saw potential in him, but he refused to try. I tried to reach out to his parents, but they were not much help, always saying “Billy is just not good at math.”
One day, as I was pondering how to approach Billy, I noticed him drawing a beautifully intricate spaceship in his notebook. Inspired by his passion for drawing, I decided to try and combine art with math to make the subject more appealing to him.
One day, I walked over to Billy’s desk and, instead of scolding him for not paying attention again, I struck a conversation about his drawing. “Billy,” I said, “this spaceship is amazing. Did you know math plays a significant role in designing spaceships?” He looked up, seemingly surprised by my praise and the question. I explained that engineers need to calculate precise measurements for building spaceships and used geometry to design them. Seeing a spark in his eyes, I then offered him an opportunity: to design a spaceship using mathematical principles and to present his project to the class.
Billy accepted the challenge, and soon after, he started asking questions, participating in class activities, and even staying after school to learn more about the finer details of how to use math in spaceship design.
When the time came for him to present his spaceship project, he did with an enthusiasm I had never seen in him before. He explained to the class how he used Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate the distance of the spaceship door from the ground and how he used various geometric shapes to design the spacecraft. It was an incredible transformation.
Seeing Billy’s newfound interest and enjoyment in learning, his parents became more supportive and began to encourage his studies at home. From then on, Billy was a different student. He became active in class, started participating, and even volunteered to help other students who had difficulties with some math concepts.
In conclusion, every student has potential; it’s just about finding the right way to unlock it. In this case, it was Billy’s love for drawing that helped him see the fun side of math. As teachers, we never know what approach might work on a particular student until we try. Here’s to never giving up on our students and to finding the key to unlock their potential.
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