BJ Hemphill

October 4, 2014
MIAA 350
Reflection #2
4th Grade
Equivalent Fractions
When I taught fourth grade I really tried to get the concept of equivalent fractions across
to my students. We would do several activities before we actually got around to the algorithm of
simplifying fractions. So, I thought I would observe a fourth grade class to see if what I practiced
then still applied to students today.
As I entered the class I noticed right away that I would not have set up the room in the
configuration that it was in. The students were in rows of six and five deep while the teacher's
desk or station was to the side of the room. During the lesson, I didn't see any evidence of the
teacher making use of the various models that could be used during this lesson on equivalent
fractions such as: diagrams, using base 10 blocks, or illustrations on the white board. Students
were discouraged from talking with one another and when they asked a question, the teacher
simply said, "look at the examples in the book."
I could tell that the students were not engaged at all (especially with this lesson when
everyone should have been), but I was there to observe not instruct. So, much to my chagrin, I
kept quiet and listened as the teacher asked questions and said that the answer was either right or
wrong. There wasn't much interaction between students and it was relatively quiet during the
time I was there.

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Without a doubt, the questions being asked remained in quadrant A. While I observed, I
heard questions like: do you think 6/15 should be simplified, is there a number that I could use to
reduce the top number and the bottom number, are the fractions equal?
I wanted to pull my hair out...there weren't challenging questions, thinking questions,
comparison question, or any questions that required more that a two or three word answer. I
walked away from that classroom thinking that these students are going to need some
remediation and small group reteaching if that was going to be the type of instruction they
received for the rest of the year.
I would have used area models, diagrams, base 10 block, drawings that students made up,
and after making self made diagrams I would have asked questions that made them think about
comparisons and making judgments as to whether they thought two diagrams or drawings were
equivalent or not and asked them to explain their thinking to me or to a partner.
I was so disappointed in what I saw because this teacher is a 20+ year veteran teacher, I
thought for sure that I would see good teaching practices going one in the classroom. I later
asked the teacher about the students in the classroom, about the configuration and asked whether
they were allowed to collaborate during lessons - the answers were just as disappointing. It
seems this was the only way "to keep them quiet and on task." I thought to myself, that these
students were the ones who probably need the hands on activities to most. What a shame that
students must endure this type of excuse for teaching.

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