Why Can't They Seem To Get It? Sept 30

I can't seem to understand how it is that I can directly teach material in class and when I do an assessment of understanding I find that the kids don't understand the material to the degree that I thought they did. Very often I ask who doesn't understand something and I stare out on a sea of blank faces.

Generally I assume that when I'm going over homework that kids don't ask to have their question covered because they're bored or that I'm going too slowly. Today I asked the kids if they don't respond to questions because the answers I'm giving are taking too long and I'm going too slowly or that they're simply bored....Most of the kids said that they aren't bored and they aren't thinking that I'm going too slowly. I was pretty surprised. It just reminds me that you can't ever get in anyone's head. It's impossible to ever know what another person is thinking....all the more reason that have the kids develop more responsibility for teaching themselves.