I'm in A Hurry to Get My GED

Description of learner:
Steve, an articulate 23-year old Caucasian man whose only language is English, dropped out of high school in ninth grade. He arrived in my class in a huge hurry to get his General Educational Development Test (GED), so he could qualify for a county job he felt was being held open for him for a limited time. He was not interested in group participation, because that would take up his time.

Challenge faced:
Although Steve's math computation skills are good, he has a lot of trouble solving word problems and is very impatient, wanting me to "just tell" him what to do to solve the problem or what the answer is. If he thought he knew how to do a problem, he would blurt out the answer and want to move on. Telling him that real learning would occur only when he began to focus on the process of problem solving didn't seem to mean anything to him. He needed a concrete example.

What we did:
I began a group lesson for the whole class by saying: "Today we'll be doing a math lesson. Suppose I start by giving you the answers. Number 1 is '5'. Number 2 is '18 ¾'. Number 3 is 'false'. Number 4 is 'multiplication'. Number 5 is '16 million'. Have you learned anything yet?" Their first reaction was "Whaaat?" They looked at me as if they thought I was crazy. I waited. Then I asked what was wrong, and I was able to get the students to tell me that answers without knowing the process didn't lead to learning how to solve anything. I watched Steve for his reaction, and he got it.

Analysis:
I continue to remind Steve to slow down, focus on the process, and not blurt out the answer, but at least now he understands why and tries a little harder to do as asked. Also, other learners sometimes remind him not to give an answer before they are ready for it. Sometimes he is willing to work through the process of solving a problem with a group and sometimes not.

What I learned:
On reflecting about this, I realize that obvious aspects of the learning process for me as a teacher can remain very abstract for learners. If they don't seem to get something, they need an example that is more concrete or one that is more related to their personal experiences.

What do you mean by describing this learner as 'articulate'?
I mean that he is very good at putting his ideas into words and is very willing to express his ideas aloud.

You say that Steve "got it." How do you know that he did?
By watching the expression on his face, I could tell he was paying attention and that the concept of answers without understanding clicked.

He still seems impatient with focusing on the process of problem-solving. What else can you do to foster willingness to engage in the entire process?
I could give him some GED sample items to work through from the workbooks or practice tests that require the expression of a process that leads to the answer rather than to the right answer itself.

I could also use problems that he might draw in diagram form, to help him take a step-by-step approach. Another effective strategy is to require the student to work a problem backwards. These might pique his interest and appeal to his creative nature. Introducing these as 'tricks' or 'shortcuts' for solving problems might make them more interesting to him.

This learner was in a big hurry. What do you do about learners who have unrealistic time expectations?
The most important thing I do is make it as clear as possible where the learner stands in terms of skill development. I do this by discussing his intake test results with him, by encouraging him to assess himself by taking practice tests in the back of the GED books and by helping him write a list of intermediate goals he needs to reach before he is ready to pass the GED. Then I can help him focus on his successes by checking goals off this list as he attains them. This record-keeping strategy should help prevent him from getting discouraged.

Challenges Encountered	Math word problems; self-control; goal setting.
Skills Addressed	Patience with self; methodical approach to problem solving.
Strategies Used	Concrete examples; step-by-step problem solving.
Learning Systems Employed	Emotional (highly motivated to reach a personal goal; focus on calming his rush to answer); Social (learning to work within a group setting); Reflective (goal setting, understanding importance of problem solving).

The approach of helping Steve gain insight into why he needs to know how to complete a process successfully was strong and effective. You mention having Steve set intermediate goals so he can see his progress with intermittent steps. This may be broken down even further to provide daily goals within a consistent, routine record-keeping process where his daily results are recorded. As he gains insights into working more calmly and at a steadier pace, the distance from one goal to the next can be increased.