When Regina Diaz struggles to learn a new math skill in SLAM North Miami’s Teach to One program, she’s the first to admit her first reaction isn’t always a positive one.
“When I’m struggling to learn something I feel frustrated because I don’t get it,” says Diaz, a sixth grader. Diaz’s thirst to learn more has earned her a spot in SLAM North Miami’s Over 100 Club – which is reserved for students who have mastered over 100 skills from their personalized TTO skill library.
“But that doesn’t mean I stop trying to learn,” she adds. “I will just practice the skill more often.”
Case in point: Earlier this year, Regina was learning about algebraic equations and inequalities and how to graph inequalities on a number line – also known as Skill A144. She called it her “math nightmare” because it was one of the few skills that was slowing her down.
On her first day, she got a yellow on her Exit Slip and was stumped. “How could I get this wrong when I did everything correctly?” she recalls telling herself. The next day, after two more learning sessions, she was able to clarify some misconceptions, and earned a green on the Exit Slip, allowing her to move on to the next skill.
Diaz has now mastered much of the 7th grade curriculum as well as numerous algebra skills — even though she is still in 6th grade. In a traditional learning model, she says, the students would be learning based on a textbook and she’d limited in what she could learn. Asked what she thought has helped her accelerate her learning, she mentioned TTO assessments called “Prove-Its,” which are short quizzes that students take to prove they know new skills.
“What I like best about TTO is that it’s individualized,” says Diaz. “The student learns at their own pace.”