Reflections upon Teaching a Poorly-Conceived Lesson

Abstract

Using a "failed" mathematics lesson as a mini-case study, I explore some of the challenges inherent in teaching an inquiry-style mathematics lesson. The ensuing discussion centers around two issues: the preparation and subsequent scaffolding involved in guiding students to desired understandings, along with the tension inherent in "telling" and "not telling" in an inquiry-style pedagogy. I resort to personal reflection, as well as to Wenger's (1998) theoretical construct of participation and reification in revealing the underlying link between the manner of lesson preparation and consequent engagement of students during the enactment of the lesson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]