Make A MESS – Engagement – Mitch and the Tutor
Let’s take a look at Mitch and his tutor, to see how things are going. As you read below, assess for yourself how Mitch’s tutor is doing in helping Mitch to stay engaged. What processes is his tutor using to help get the job done?
Mitch and his tutor, Alex Chambers, were still getting to know each other. By that I mean, Mitch was trying to find out what he could get away with and Chambers was trying to be authoritative, not dictatorial.
“I got that one right. Why do I have all these other problems (to do)?” complained Mitch.
“One strike-out, does not a pitcher make,” Chambers said.
“Huh? What’s baseball or Shakespeare got to do with my math?” Mitch asked.
“Ha! If I come in and strike a guy out, that’s great. But I have to get three outs, not just one,” Chambers said.
“But if I can do this problem, then I know how to do similar problems,” Mitch argued.
“I may know how to get one guy out, but I have to know how to get all of them out to be a good closer,” Chambers said.
“Baseball is different. Each batter is different,” Mitch argued.
“Yeah and each thing you apply a math concept to is a little different. One time’ it is figuring out how much Pepsi and Mountain Dew you need for a picnic; another time it is how many gallons of paint to buy and how many hours it will take to paint your room,” Chambers explained.
“All of these problems here are really the same. I am solving for one unknown,” Mitch said.
“I am really pleased that you are able to see how these problems are similar. That shows a good understanding,” Chambers said.
“So let’s move on,” Mitch said.
Alex reached into his backpack, pulled out the folder with the Chapter Tests and handed one to Mitch. “If you think you know this stuff, then have at it,” he said.
After struggling with the first three problems, Mitch handed the test back to Alex and said, “You made your point.”
“What did you just figure out from those three problems you just tried?” Alex asked.
“That I’m not as smart as I thought?” Mitch said, sarcastically.
“You are plenty smart Mitch. But sometimes you are a little impatient. Look again at those three problems,” his tutor said.
“Well, when I read the example in the book I thought I understood it, but these problems are just the same kind and obviously, I don’t understand it that well,” Mitch concluded.
“Remember how I showed you how to throw a slider last week?” Chambers asked.
“Yeah.”
“You remember how you did a really good job of throwing it the first time after I showed you?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Do you think you are ready to throw a slider in big game when the score is tied and the bases are loaded?” Chambers asked.
“Of course not,” Mitch said.
“How come?” Chambers asked.
“I can’t throw it consistently for a strike yet,” Mitch said.
“Exactly. You need to be able to throw it where you want, no matter who is batting and what the situation is,” Chambers said.
“I know I need to practice it, but math is different,” Mitch argued.
“Actually they are really similar. You have to be able to use that concept, solving for one unknown, in all sorts of different situations, whether it is building, buying, or planning,” Chambers said.
“Planning what?” Mitch asked.
“If your team is selling T-shirts to raise money, what do you need to charge for every shirt to make $500?” Chambers asked.
“You can sell T-shirts for $20 if people are psyched about your team,” Mitch said.
“So how many shirts?”
“Huh? Oh, Lets see. Twenty-five,” Mitch said proudly.
“What did you have to pay for the shirts originally?” the Chambers asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What if you can only sell them for $15?” he continued.
“You are making this too complicated,” Mitch complained.
“I’m saying, you have to know your math well enough so you can solve problems, no matter what happens. When I am pitching, they may send up a pinch hitter. They may try to steal a base. The guy behind the dugout may know my sister’s name. I have to be able to throw my slider when I need it, even when the situation is completely new to me,” Chambers said.
“How do you do that?” Mitch wondered.
“I throw it often enough in practice that my brain knows how to do it automatically without having to think about it,” Chambers said.
“But you have to think in math,” Mitch said.
“That’s right, but your brain is like a muscle. The more you use it for something, the stronger it gets in that area,” Chambers said.
“So if you cut open most kids, you’d see a big muscle for World of Warcraft?” Mitch asked.
“Absolutely! And when you don’t use one part of your brain, that part gets smaller,” Chambers said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Use it or lose it Mitch,” Chambers said.
“Practice makes perfect?”
“Practice makes things easier, especially under pressure,” Chambers said.
ANALYSIS
So how is Making A MESS of Mitch going? The Dean was attuned to the fact that Mitch’s problem with the student teacher had to do with his need to avoid humiliation. He also surmised that if Mitch were competent in math, the threat of humiliation would not have been an issue. To achieve that goal, the dean set clear standards Mitch needed to meet before he could return to school. He provided Mitch a tutor with whom he could work with one-on-one, thus avoiding the embarrassment he might feel around making mistakes or asking for help.
Even though the attunement was ‘spot on’ and the mastery goals were crystal clear, Mitch still needed support for the engagement required to learn that much math. His pattern to date was avoidance of failures and losses at all costs. So his new tutor had his work cut out for him. For the most part, the (I want) part of the equation held. Mitch wanted to be back with his friends. However, Mitch was impatient, wanting to bargain his way to a short cut instead of doing all the hard work. There is nothing new there, right? Did you notice how the tutor handled the excuses and bargaining? He handed Mitch the chapter test, offering him the opportunity to test whether his self-assessment was accurate? For a kid like Mitch, that was far more effective than trying to convince him he hadn’t truly mastered the material. Chambers moved the conflict from him as judge, to Mitch as self-assessor. That is the type of engagement we want for Mitch, away from arguing and blaming, and toward self-assessment and self-direction. From the outside to the inside – of the kid.
Chambers understood that much of Mitch’s bluster and bargaining were attempts to avoid potential discomforts, like failure, frustration, and impatience. Therefore, Mitch needed help with the (I can) part of the equation. Chambers was well aware of all the hard work required for gaining mastery, whether it was baseball or math. So he worked to keep Mitch engaged with support, structure, encouragement, and information. And when Mitch chose to disengage, or attempt a short cut, he let the consequences of that action lead to the need for reengagement (like when he gave him the opportunity to take the chapter test). Remember when your writing teacher told you to ‘show it, don’t tell it’? Well instead of engaging in arguments with Mitch or trying to persuade him of something he needed to focus on, the tutor simply handed Mitch the chapter test and said, “have at it”. The approach allowed Mitch to see whether he had mastered something, or needed to reengage with the process of learning.
Mitch is a kid with a very narrow zone of proximal development. He doesn’t want to waste time with what he already knows. But he can easily feel overwhelmed and then quickly retreat to what is safe and easy. Chambers had to constantly assess the level where Mitch was challenged, but could manage with sufficient support (scaffolding). Part of the engagement process, as you witnessed in the vignette above, was the reasoning process Chambers provided Mitch. Typically, Mitch impulsively took action to avoid any threat of loss and discomfort. Chambers held him gently in place and helped him reason about what the next step required and why. He was helping Mitch learn to analyze before acting, an invaluable form of engagement. He was also giving Mitch hope and the repeated experience of being successful by virtue of his sustained engagement.