That Moment You Want to Bang Your Head Against a Wall

I am now at the end of my fifth week of a seven week fill-in in the third grade.

Things are going quite well.

But even though things are going pretty well doesn't mean I don't occasionally feel like walking over to the nearest wall and banging my head repeatedly into it.

Yesterday was definitely one of those days.  

The setting was Math class...

Before I tell this story I need to give some background info...there is always a fine line a teacher walks between "giving help" and having a student become too dependent on you for help.

I found myself walking this line with some students in Math lately so I had to institute a new policy - "I will help you...but you need to at least try to do it on your own first...once you've come up with an answer, you can come to me and ask if you did it right or not."

We were doing fractions

So...2 minutes after saying this a student is back by desk already:

Student: "I don't get how to do this."

Me(with the utmost patience): "okay, well remember what I just got done saying? I need for you to go back to your desk and at least try to do it on your own first. Then you can come back and see if you did it correctly."

He does...and is back to my desk a minute later having drawn a picture diagramming 5/9. 

Me (still maximum patience): "good...I like how you tried to do that but what they are really looking for is not a diagram but a fraction." And I point to what a fraction looks like. "Go back and write this as a fraction."

He's back at my desk a minute later.

Student: "like this?"

Me (still pretty patient): "um...well, you have 9/5 and what number did I say would be on the bottom for this assignment - the larger or the smaller number?"

Student: "ohhhhh...yeah."
 And switches it around to 5/9.

At this point I am pleased and tell him to go back to his desk and finish up the remaining 3 problems in just the same way.

Two minutes later he is back at my desk to check his work again.

For all three he has the larger number on top!?!?!

Me (now lacking patience but trying to sound as if I still have some)*speaking between gritted teeth*: "alright" I point to the first problem..."was the larger or smaller number supposed to be on the bottom?"

Student: "oh..yeah" and switches 5/9 (the only correct answer) back to 9/5.

REALLY????? How much patience am I supposed to have?????  

I kept my composure and we got the four problems done correctly...and then I went to look for that wall!