I know I'm not the first person to believe this but humor can be a great way to get a person to see the obvious yet overlooked flaws in their own life. That's why we laugh. We hear a punch-line that connects with our own experience and we are able to see in ourselves, maybe only momentarily, what others may consider to be our defining characteristics. In this brief glimpse I believe it could be possible to break through the stubborn thoughts and actually start producing some meaningful change.
Take math teachers for example:
"Should an 'A' start at 92% or 93%?" #AprilMaths
Get twelve in a room (or even two for that matter) and try to decide if an A should start at 92% or 93%. A decision will not be made and no one will leave on good terms.
"Any ways to use the median length of a triangle in a Call of Duty word problem?" #AprilMaths
Ask if the median of a triangle is an important concept for a student to know if future math classes (or even in the current one)--make sure to follow up with "Why?" too.
"How do you use the graphing calculator in your job at the nuclear reactor?" #AprilMaths
Ask a math teacher to tell you what current technology exists that can help students relate to their world but tell them they can't use the word "calculator" in their response.
"Tell me your thoughts on this so I can give you three reasons why you're wrong." #AprilMaths
Each person believes their opinion is built on a solid truth that cannot be shaken. Because our worksheets have one answer so must any question or possibility asked of us to consider.
In an effort to keep the conversation going I'm going to tweet out these thoughts. Maybe it'll catch on or maybe it'll just be a word in one of my blog posts. #AprilMaths
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