Sanee Bell-Principal

Getting Gritty in 5th Grade

In addition to the content that must be taught during the school year, it is also important to teach and reinforce character, as well as social and emotional skills. When I visit classrooms, I frequently engage with students about what they are learning. During one of my visits to a 5th grade classroom, I spent a little time with a group of 5th grade students who were working together during a guided math activity. 

The students were instructed to work together to solve a couple of word problems. As the students began to read the task they had been given, I moved closer so that I could observe their approach. The group was comprised of three boys and two girls. Naturally, the boys sat on one side and the girls sat on another. From the start it looked as if the group was going to be split. However, one of the female students in the group stated that they were supposed to be working together to solve the problem. With some assistance from one of the boys in the group, the female student who restated the teacher's expectations received the necessary support and the group conversation began. 

The students struggled with their thinking. It would have been very easy for them to be passive in their learning by waiting for the teacher to tell them what to do. Instead, students began to try to solve the problem with the help from the other members in the group. They questioned one another's thinking, and they asked their peers to "explain themselves" when they began to offer a solution. The students never gave up. They grappled with the problem. They stuck with the problem. They worked together. They were gritty. 

I was so impressed with their level of commitment. These are the lessons that will remain with them forever. Building tomorrow today goes beyond the teaching and learning of content. Giving students the opportunity to work together to solve problems gives them the chance to life skills and to collaborate with their peers. Solving problems that do not yet exist, and working with others, are critical skills that are necessary in preparing students for their future. 

Before I left the classroom, I expressed to the group how impressed I was with their effort and determination. I asked each member of the group what they had learned from working together. 

Daniel: "A problem can be hard, but when you work together to get it accomplished it makes it easer."

Mia: "When you try different things, you get the right answer."

Jocelin: "Working together helped my thinking."

Roman: "Always check your work with someone else to see if you get the correct answer."