Like many teachers in computer labs, I have had the chronic problem of students impatiently waiting for my attention when they have a question or hit a snag. They raise their hands and wave them in the air, raise their voices and call my name, even jump up and down to get my attention. Worst of all, some have given up on the assignment. I’ve done the best I could to get to everyone quickly, but students became frustrated, feeling stuck and waiting.

I rushed around as fast as I could to answer questions and get to everyone, but the pressure was overwhelming. Many times I failed to give students enough time to ensure their understanding, and I missed some students altogether. I knew that I would get to them in the next period, but I wanted them to be more understanding and patient, and to use their “down” time more constructively while allowing me time with others.

Everyone’s problem
My plan was to involve the students in solving our shared problem. On the first day of class this year I asked students how many of them felt frustrated when they didn’t get their questions answered right away. All hands went up. I asked what they did when they felt that way. Several said they raised their voices or argued with classmates about who had their hand up first. I said that I understood their concerns and also felt frustrated. I asked for suggestions about how we could handle the situation differently this year.

After several inappropriate or ineffective suggestions, I suggested the idea of a paper cup perched on the computer of anyone who had a question. I would look for the cups, and no one would have to call out or wave their hands. While they waited, they could take paper from the origami basket and make figures. Everyone agreed to the plan.

A better idea
The origami idea didn’t work. There were even more questions about paper folding than about computer assignments! Instead, I made up word searches and crossword puzzles that pertained to the lesson on the computer. Students could go to a table in the center of the computer lab to work on the puzzles while they were waiting for their questions to be answered, and they would get extra credit for the vocabulary development work that the puzzles provided. This plan worked much better.

The students and I decided on a chart that we could use to express their thoughts about how they felt our plan was working. The students enjoyed having the responsibility of thinking about how things were going and rating the class on the chart with some stickers I provided. I enjoyed listening to them conversing at the chart.

Charting the project
We also had a project of making a progress chart on the computer, and we voted on which of the student-produced charts to use. The students enjoyed that project. The progress chart required converting amount of stress experienced during the class to a percentage, so each student could see whether their stress level during class was increasing or decreasing as time went on.

Why it worked
This problem-solving project helped me to understand the importance of having a plan, involving students in it from the beginning, being consistent, and publicly and visually keeping track of results so that everyone is invested in them. The results weren’t perfect, but sharing the problem with students from the beginning seemed to bring about more communication and greater school involvement and interest. Students were also more aware of the actions of their classmates, and when some students weren’t following the plan, others would remind them of our process .

Sometimes the crosswords and word searches became almost too interesting, and students had a hard time leaving them unfinished when I was ready to help them with their computer problems. I learned to make the vocabulary work shorter and a little more difficult, to better suit the likely time available to work on them.

I have learned to be more calm and patient with the students as I see them being so with me. The atmosphere of the room is much more relaxed. I even have a CD playing during class time with soothing music that adds to the overall calmness of the room!

Mary Ulrich teaches at Red Lake Middle School, Red Lake, MN.

This article first appeared in Origins: A Newsletter for Educators, Spring 2006