Mathsplaining
I was a long-term substitute teacher in math since the original teacher was on long-term leave. We had just had a test, and those who failed it or missed it due to sickness were about to take a new one on the same subject.
Student #1: “So, I won’t get the retest right? Since I was sick.”
Me: “Yes, it will count as your first test.”
Student #2: “But I will get the retest right?”
Me: “Yes, it is the same test though.”
Student #2: “But what? I should get the retest, not the full test!”
Me: “You get a full test even if it is your second take.”
They seemed very confused about this, and it struck me as strange since we’ve had exactly the same setup before. Later that day, another teacher contacted me. Note: She is not a math teacher; her subject is not even close to math. In fact, she would get confused about elementary school math when helping students.
Teacher: “Hi, I was just wondering about your retest. [Student #3]’s parents are wondering what he should study for it.”
Me: “Chapter three.”
Teacher: “Yes, but which parts of it?”
Me: “It is for the whole chapter.
Teacher: “Yes, but depending on which parts he made in the original test, they want to know what he should show now.”
Me: “Well, he has the latest test, so he can know what he did wrong last time.”
Teacher: “You let them keep it?”
Me: “Yes, so they can study up for the retest.”
Teacher: “But how do you know how to make the retest then? If you don’t know what they’ve already shown.”
Me: “Well, they get a complete test; I can’t exactly do an individual test for everyone.”
Teacher: “That is what I do!”
This confuses me even more, so I ask the other math teachers if they do individual retests, and they literally laugh out loud at the absurdity of making individual tests (unfortunately, the rate of people failing the first math test is higher than in many other subjects).
[Student #3] brings his old test for me, I write up his weaknesses and write to his parents where I clarify where he seems to be weak, but also that the test will be on the whole chapter. They thanked me very much.
Talking to my mentor, she suspects the reason the students are giving me a hard time is because that other teacher has been telling them I am not doing things the right way, because I don’t do it the same way she does. In my last week, I prepared to leave my planning over to the new teacher and mentioned to the team that there is a math test coming up and that the teacher might need help with holding it and finding all the material.
Teacher: “He will have a test already in his second week?”
Me: “Yes.”
Teacher: “That is not alright!”
Me: “I planned it like that because then he doesn’t have to have a lesson plan when he starts, and it works best for the students.”
Teacher: “But he doesn’t even know the students; how can he test them when he doesn’t know them?”
Me: “He just has to give them the materials and the test; we’ve already gone through all the theory, he only needs to do repetition and help the students study for it.”
There is an awkward silence in the room, as no one else wants to get involved, but then the head math teacher chimes in.
Head Math Teacher: “But you’ve already written the test, right?”
Me: “Yes, and two retests in case he needs them. There are also clear instructions for grading them.”
He nods, satisfied, and the rest of the team seems to value his judgement on the matter. The principal was in on this meeting, as well as my mentor, and the next morning (my last day on the job), I got an email from the teacher questioning me, apologising for questioning me, and that she was just worried about her students. It was the first time she had questioned me when others saw it, and the first time she apologised.
If you don’t even know the subject, don’t tell me how to teach it, please!
