Asperger's/PDD

I was sent to a new math curriculum class for teachers. It was like teaching how to make noise, all work was done in a group setting. Children need to have math facts stored in their heads/mind before they can come up with strategies in a group of 5 to solve abstract word problems. If they don't have math facts easily accessible in the minds, they either feel not so smart or dumb when they can't keep up or understand what the other students are doing are doing in their group. As teachers we observed this method taught during class time in an actual math class. The noise was deafening, then only 1 or 2 were given time to demonstrate how their group solved the problem, all on white boards that were erased at end of class. So, the students who didn't get it right, did not get the attention they needed because math time was over. All their work on a white board was erased and not checked.

It never made sense to me. I was retired already when, I had my grandchildren during the times schools were closed due to covid. They went to zoom school, and their teachers, 1st and 4th, had them go into breakout rooms for discussions with other kids. It was not very nice for the kids, I would interrupt when kids were rude or laughed at one kid and try to redirect the conversation. Their teachers apparently thought every child knew how to speak on video calls, mine didn't.

I love to hear children laughing and having fun, which we had plenty of in my classroom. I always loved teaching, and even as a 4/5 grader, my teacher would ask me to help explain things to other students. In high school, a friend told me, " That makes sense, now I understand." I always wanted to be a teacher.

Thanks for responding.