Exit Slip: November 9 (Inquiry Project Update)

For today's class, we spent a significant portion of the time having the opportunity to develop our inquiry projects. Initially, I began with wanting to understand the effects the COVID-19 lockdown had on students work habits. However, the topic ended up a lot more broad than I'd like, so my focus has been narrowed into understanding how new-to-Canada (refugee status) students were affected by the lockdown, and what type of work habits could help them succeed. 

It is essentially a two-part project; part one will lay the understanding of what issues these students face in the education system and math classrooms post-lockdown, and part two will address implementing specific work habits as a solution to help them succeed in math classes. 

The reason I still chose to focus on work habits is because math is a skill-based subject, and with enough intrinsic motivation and support, many students have a good chance at success. In the context of the refugee students, some work habits may not be as effective as others, so it will take effort to distinguish what will work for both the student and educator, especially when time is such a challenge. An example may be- punctuality for a morning class with certain familial responsibilities may not be feasible, but coming to class with all materials and ready to focus is. 

I had been told by an educator that in her experience, regular students were set back about 3 years in math ability as a result of the lockdown, while ELLs were set back about 5 years. This is especially significant for refugee students who are facing myriad challenges and require differentiated support in order to catch up to their peers and succeed. In terms of the programs set up by Canada, there already exists a large amount of refugee students that require assistance in the education system, and there will continue to be more for a number of years. I firmly believe that math can be learned by all students, and I empathize with how frustrating the learning experience can be, especially if there is a rocky foundation. By understanding the nuances in their experience, I'll be able to try to create a more supportive and personalized experience that grants these students the confidence to tackle math problems and appreciate it in the world.