Trips to the Board

I ran across this cartoon recently and loved it. It fits with many of the experiences that I have had as a student. Everyone knows that being "stuck" at the board is no fun. People are always watching and you can feel it. I remember one experience in particular. Math was not my best subject and I found myself stranded at the board on a daily basis. I spent one entire class period struggling with place value. Even though I fully understand the concept now, I felt as if I would never get it. Being embarrassed in front of all my peers only made matters worse. Looking back, I remember how I felt in that instance. I vow to never put my students in that situation.