Reply To: Lesson 5-6: Question

[Terry Hill]

My two areas were exponents and then moving to polynomials. After seeing the dismal lack of success working with polynomials, it became clear that while the students had given correct answers on the exponents unit (even enough to pass the end of unit test), they really had no conceptual understanding of exponents. But not only were they lacking in understanding of exponents, there was a huge disconnect when it came to working with polynomials. Looking back, it would have been good to pivot to like terms and helping them have a deeper understanding of that concept (which I did not realize at the time that they did not have). I definitely have to get better at knowing what the students actually understand and what they manage to act like they understand when they do not.