I have a theory... and I'm putting it into practice, since it's better than any other strategy for dealing with the "I'm completely freaking out because this is math" scenario.
When the person is CFO, and attempts to shine the flashlight down the mathematical path yet still make them tread it are failing, and the test is in three hours or three minutes, then I'm going to walk them through the problem with the "and of course you know that you should multiply by x" approach.
This is totally bogus for teaching, of course, because it could very well be a bald-faced lie. For getting the CFO brain ready for a test, though, welp, we'll see. It beats "so what do you do next?" and getting 'I don't know, I don't know any of this, I can't remember, I don't know." My strategy will be to hypnotize them into being sucked along the process.

Glad to say that today's gone gobs better. This is due in part to a certain student who inspired me weeks back, personally, with her displays of courage in the face of confusion and derision. Saw her again and that reminded me... so when the crank bug showed up, I had foam insulation ready ;)

Read and Write Gold 9 is on the 'puters and we're trying to work out some "new version" issues with scanning.

BUSY.

Where did my patience go?
Theories in no particular order:
Theory A: engaging in plot development for nanowrimo put me in "accelerated muse" mode, and even though I barely touched that mental space yesterday, it takes serious time to adjust from "manic creativity" to patient tutoring mode.

Theory B: The gap between student knowledge and what they're supposed to know is wider this semester for some reason.

Theory C: The gap appears wider and is rendered thus by the increased stressors of the year, which are pervasive. (Supporting evidence: the student who didn't know how to subtract 48 from 50 missed last week because of an all-over-the-news gut-wrenching nightmare that was real.)

I don't know, but desperately seeking cures. My first attempt -- be really, really, really, really patient -- can't do it without that little edge that says all too loudly "I HAVE TO GO THIS SLOWLY ?!?!?!? YOU DON"T KNOW THIS ?!?!?" and, um, that is exactly the worst thing to do. Succeeded a bit angling at the "gonna find a way to do this" approach... and good old fashioned prayer.

Theory D: it's not patience at all, but that I'm following the "if they don't get it just slow down" recipe which denies an awful lot of training and experience. Do I need to go find a way to hang out with other multisensory instructors for a while?

THeory: the reason students seem to be struggling more this semester is that there is more stress because of the state of the economy, and more are missing time because of the stupid flu and they just don't have that margin for "error."
I know that the wiring could make this stuff work, but there are fundamental issues with how probelms are approached. How to teach those executive function or metacognitive or whatever other jargon you want to call the skills? I know there's a way. If you can teach reading comprehension, you can teach problem solving and following directions and ... welp, except I'm not sure what it is. It has to do with where in the brain a situation goes and what parts you use to decide what to do next.

Nifty article about voice recognition. He talks about the latest and greatest speculations, and qualifies the "these things are in sight" by saying it's in sight in the same way he can see the moon outside his windwo ;_)
You did FINE in the algebra stuff -- it's not that the capability isn't there -- but 42 - 36 should be achievable without a calculator. SOmetimes calculators *have* been abused, and soemtimes expectations ahve been too *($#@ low.

A: Must remember that just because a student's baggage is completely precluding successful expression of knowledge, it doesn't mean to stop attempting to put it in.

B: I ahve a plan :)

My heart's a bit gladdened... yea, there's an oral quiz happening here. So I'm hoping no LDs that impinge... and then teach says "Oh, __, you need a hard copy?" and "anybody else need a hard copy..." -- and not in a tone connoting "any dweebs need something SPECIAL?"

System 44 -- teaching phonemes!!!

I remember Ted Hasselbring saying at TRLD that he'd been surprised at the decoding deficits of older readers and that soemthing was in process... Yippee!!

Okee Dokee... time to make the most of the remaining 100 minutes or so of the work week.