It's a Resource!

I spent a fun day subbing at one of my favorite schools this week.  I was subbing as a floater, so I got to roam in and out of classrooms all day long, supporting kids during the subjects where they struggle the most.

In the afternoon Math time, I was sent down to second grade, where I sat with my friend, T.  I've known T since kindergarten, and I adore this child.  He is smart, he is funny, he is witty.  Oh yeah, and he hates to write.

We were working through a worksheet he had, where he had to write out the number sentence and then solve the problem.  He knew the answers, and he would write the answers, but getting him to write the number sentence was a challenge. 

After much cajoling, we finally finished that paper, and then we looked at another paper.

I knew we were in trouble the moment I saw it.  It was a coloring page.  A math coloring page.  I'm sure you remember these.  The "picture" is divided into parts, and each part has an equation.  You have to solve the equation, and then match the answer to a color key located somewhere on the paper, and then color that part of the picture accordingly.

T hates, absolutely hates to color.  He stormed right through the page, and wrote down all of the answers right away.  But then, he got his stubborn on.  He had to color the sections of the picture.  His teacher was adamant about the pictures being colored in, and he was just as adamant that he was not going to do it.

I cajoled.

I begged. 

I promised a break down in the media center, where he could pick any book that he wanted.

I attempted to bribe him with a pencil.  Not just any pencil, a Halloween pencil.

Finally, a wicked grin spread across his face.

He pulled out his math folder.  ON the right side, the pocket was labeled "Work to be Finished".  The left pocket was labeled "Resources".  The resource side was filled with hundreds charts, a number line, and other nifty little Math resource papers.  He looked at me and declared "This is a resource.   Since this is a resource, I don't have to color it in.  I can come back and use it to help me solve other problems later on!"

He shoved the paper into the left pocket, and then looked triumphantly at me as his math group was called back to the table to work with his teacher.  Unfortunately, when he went back to his group, it was time for me to move on to another classroom.

Well played, T, well played.