Teaching Response: Lesson Four (March 19, 2007)

As evident from the pre-assessment and through class discussions it was clear that most of the students had a solid understanding of symmetry and congruency. As a result, we wanted to find a way to challenge the students and expose them to aspects of the concept that they did not have knowledge of. Having students think about lines of symmetry in relation to letters was something they had never done. This forced them to apply their knowledge of lines of symmetry in shapes to different images. For many students this was hard and something once viewed as easy became a challenge to them. In regards to congruency, many students struggled with the same thing. Presenting them with two objects that were the same shape and size but not right next to each other was a challenge. Students were quick to say that the shapes were either non-congruent or similar. Again, I think the students were so used to seeing things presented in only one way and thus, altering one thing forced them to take a step back and gain understanding of the material. I went into this lesson nervous that we were just going to be re-teaching them information that they already knew. However, I quickly learned that altering a few things and presenting the information in a new way can challenge students and in turn strengthen their understanding of the concept. Too often teachers get stuck in a pattern and forget to expose students to material in new and exciting ways.