Where am I?

Seventh graders are famous for being clueless, especially during the first few months of school. Here in Korea things aren't any different. Our seventh graders were traumatized the first week of school. Apparently several went back to the sixth grade teacher during the first week and told her that seventh grade is very hard. Few though have managed to be as confused as one young man was about two weeks into school.

First some background. I give a homework check pretty much every day. Students are given a quarter sheet of paper with space to write their name, the date, the class name (Algebra 1, Geometry, etc.), and the section number. There are also places to put the answers to questions that are indicated on a transparency that looks like their homework check. To help, I typically write the section number on the transparency along with the problems that they are to give the answers for. The students are expected to know the other information--name, date, and class.

So, now back to the story. One day, I noticed that filling out the homework check was becoming automatic for most of my students, and I was pleased because that meant I didn't have to explain the process everyday any more. One student in the back row, though, had a perplexed look as he raised his hand.

"Yes, [insert student name]"

The student looked at me for a moment longer before responding, "What class is this?"

"When in doubt," I told him, "Check the cover of your book." So the student picked up his book and read the cover.

"Pre-Algebra?"

"Yes, this is Pre-Algebra." I wasn't sure what to think at this point.