Future-Perfect Math – Past Imperfect!

Sometimes, you must build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.    Johnny Cash

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Many students who struggle with math come to us with a long story of failure. It is often laid out sequentially in their school testing or assessments, IEP and report cards.

For many parents there is a story of regret that accompanies their child’s failure in school. They ask, “Why 

weren’t we able to find my child’s difficulty and provide appropriate reading or math help earlier?” 

And for many teachers or learning support practitioners, our story might be, “Why didn’t they catch this student 

and assess him or her in kindergarten, first or second grade, or when he was always acting out in math class?”

I know I’ve said it,  or at least I know I’ve thought it. That notion of “if only this or that did or didn’t happen”.

The tricky part for all of us, student, parent or teacher, is that we can’t go back one year, one month or even one day. 

So, what’s the solution?

Read more, or watch and listen here.

Start by doing a mind sweep. 

It’s a term I use when my thinking drifts away to thoughts of “if only”. I take a deep breath and begin with my plan for the next lesson. I consider how I can be the one to change things for this student right now.

So both you and I can begin by reshaping the learning environment. Develop math lesson plans that are cumulative, sequential and successful enough to begin to establish a legacy of trust with your student.

Your student’s habits and behaviours from the past will likely be evident. They are often coping skills from past experiences. We can change them with patience and a plan. Be engaged and present with each other.

Orton Gillingham Math lessons are interactive and multisensory. Steps to secure attention and motivate participation are built in. But remember, you must do it too. You must be fully engaged.  Listen intently to your student. He or she will know if you are multitasking and writing away in your lesson plan book or checking your materials when you should be fully participating with them in an interactive math activity. You are the key to accomplishment at that very moment.

Do not dwell in the past. Do not dream of the future, or dwell in the future. Concentrate the mind on the present moment.       Buddha

If we leave the past behind and stop dwelling on what might-have- been, it’s natural to begin to focus on what’s ahead for the student. It might be an uncomfortable image. Struggling math students are usually behind their grade level peers. Sometimes the gap is significant. So, it isn’t unusual to think,

“What will happen next year?

“How will he/she manage the final exams?”

“How can he learn independently later in life?”

“Will she feel like she is making progress?”

 I’ve had those thoughts. It’s fitting to be motivated to do your very best and help your students reach math proficiency. However, it can only be achieved by building in solid math skills. That is the gift of today.  Honor it,  and bring all the joy you can to it.

Marilyn Wardrop is a gifted trainer & mentor who helps educators replace or surpass their current math teaching strategies for struggling math students or those children learning math for the first time.

Marilyn’s OG Academic Math training programs have been called the secret weapon of frustrated math instructors. Hundreds…even thousands of educators use OG Math every single day.

Contact Marilyn here anytime.