"Many students don’t see education as a privilege. They see it as a product. And if they don’t like the salesperson, if they aren’t impressed with how it’s packaged, they aren’t buying. But our kids have to learn to be self-motivated because at some point in every person’s life, either at school or in a job or in a marriage, he or she will have to buck up and say, 'This is hard. This is boring. I don’t want to do this. But I’m doing it anyway. And I’ll do my best.'" -Laura Hanby, "How to fix the apathy problem in schools", The News & Observer, June 5, 2016
We've made it through two weeks already, the students and I. Now we're all getting to enjoy a much deserved (or at least we think so) 3 day weekend. The biggest thing I have struggled with this school year so far is being present, and I think a few students have been having the same problem. The class I work with is first thing in the morning, and we're all tired. I'm able to become engaged very quickly, though, having years of customer service under my belt, therefore the training to put on a brave and cheerful face even when I'm exhausted. My worry is, though, if we allow these student to be taciturn, and write it off as just them being tired, will it change throughout the year... or are we just communicating the wrong expectations? We all want to work in a classroom in which the students are engaged and excited about their learning. So, it's our jobs to make lessons that are exciting, diverse, effective, innovative, informative.... the list of adjectives goes on and on. But should this weight really just be on our shoulders? I of course do not have the answers to this yet, but now is a good time to start asking that question.
As education majors, we are taught many ways to shape and change our lessons so that they are accessible to each students' learning style. This is valuable information, as it is of course true that we all learn differently, and what we are taught as education majors has to do with communicating that learning to each kind of student. But just because we know how to teach, does not mean that our students know how to learn. So it does seem like some of the weight of the classroom experience is on the students' shoulders. This just means that we cannot do all of the work for them. That if something isn't getting through to a student, they may need to come up with a new approach, a new way of looking at the problem, or to seek out new resources... just like we have to as teachers. But it seems like less and less does society hold students to these standards. When a student is having trouble, it can be an easy out to just blame a teacher and say they are ineffective.
But to get back to the main point: sometimes it's hard to get students engaged, especially when it's first thing in the morning, on top of being the beginning of the year, when not every one knows each other yet (or you for that matter). As I start to design lessons and make my own efforts to get students fired up, I should use this time to advocate some good learning habits to the students. Right now I'm a bit of a bystander in the classroom, which, as I see it, is the perfect position in which to be that voice in the students' ear that guides them to be more and more independently motivated. I can give encouragements from those sidelines as the teacher is in front of the class doling out that useful learning.
A great article by Laura Hanby called "How to fix the apathy problem in schools" is what initially got me excited about this idea. She talks about how to start small when it comes to encouraging students to become more motivated in their classes. It's ok to start by only giving 100% in one class and by doing this through good note taking methods, organization, or by finding study buddies. These are all things we can easily guide students into doing. Then through these efforts, students may start having success in classes that they otherwise found boring or too hard. "Success breeds success, and success is an excellent motivator."
I highly recommend checking out her article here, it's a very good read.
As the year continues to go by, I'm going to make more of an effort to try self-motivation techniques with students, and promote these ideas as a regular topic of conversation. Then, hopefully, by the end of the year no one will have to be putting on any brave faces. I will report back here both successes and failures!
"Not only does success motivate, but it can also inspire, and here is where we move from sheer determination to passion – the true goal of education." -Laura Hanby, "How to fix the apathy problem in schools", The News & Observer, June 5, 2016
Good evening,
ReplyDeleteStruggling with engagement seems to be a growing theme this semester. I think a big part of engagement is understanding what engagement looks like. What does it look like to you? Is it kiddos getting up and active? Is it kiddos getting excited about school work? Is it more basic?
I'm still trying to figure out what it looks like to me.
Great questions, Mrs. Lathrop-Nethercot!
DeleteWow! I am absolutely thrilled that you posted this, Ms. Doolittle, because I, too, begin my internship in the wee hours of the morning; as such, I have come across the same challenge all teachers face- finding a way to get them motivated, maintaining that energy, and helping them get through that last period of the day still fired up and ready to learn. Just like you, I have been trained through years of working in customer service and sales and am able to plaster on my “happy face” and get to work when I need to. (Training aside, I still walk in on Monday mornings double fisting it with my choices of caffeination for that day!) However, this skill is not as broadly held as it should be, rather we are faced with students who have never had to be anything but a direct reflection of how they feel- tired, bored, angry,etc.- and they are not inclined to do anything else. The apathetic student is not necessarily a fun student, but it does not make excuse them from learning any more than it excuses us to teach them.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, let’s talk about how we can help them learn how they learn. In my latest blog post I discuss the learning activity we did on the first “official” day of class. It was a differentiated learning/teaching styles quiz with a Winnie the Pooh theme, and yes, if you are wondering, it did produce a lot of looks from our students ranging from confusion to tortured at first. As they read their results, however, many of them switched from being apathetic to engaged because they were learning about themselves. They weren’t learning about grammar, or a book character, or trying to understand something too complex for their level, but they were getting some insight into how they learn best, and what side, if not both, of their brain they used when they learn. They learned about what their answers revealed they are capable of doing, leaving no room for them to deny it any longer. For example, when a student says that they cannot learn from reading an article- but they answered on the quiz a certain answer that dictates that they actually can- well, guess they are going to have to put up the argument against themselves.
I feel like providing these types of quizzes are important because they can help us help them to ultimately, help ourselves! These quizzes are also great for us to take as teachers, too. When we know what type of learner/teacher we are and can compare that to the results of our students; we can know how to modify our teachings to better fit the needs and learning abilities of our students. It is also useful when composing group work by narrowing down the various possibilities of whom to pair with whom. Go by learning styles or if in need of various types of learners- make sure there are different styles in each group if possible. What I want to highlight is that even though it is our job to create and teach engaging and interactive lessons, it is part of the student’s responsibility to take part in the learning experience and hold themselves accountable for their education. Insightful post Miss Doolittle, I truly cannot wait for the next!
Cheers!
I love this quote in your reply, Ms. Johnson:
Delete"... rather we are faced with students who have never had to be anything but a direct reflection of how they feel- tired, bored, angry,etc.- and they are not inclined to do anything else. The apathetic student is not necessarily a fun student, but it does not make excuse them from learning any more than it excuses us to teach them."
Preach.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply to Mrs. Doolittle too!
Thanks so much for this provocative post, Miss Doolittle! Love the opening quote--thanks for sharing it with us. It definitely captured my attention for reading your post, and you convinced me to read the article as well. I love the specific tips Hudgens offers for helping students experience success (through their own efforts) in a single class.
ReplyDeleteI used to teach my middle school students to SLANT in their classes:
S = sit up
L = lean forward
A = ask questions
N = nod your head
T = track your teacher (or whoever is speaking); you could also suggest TAKE NOTES
I applaud you for thinking about how you can empower your students to be more proactive in their own learning process. I think you’ll appreciate Bomer’s discussions throughout our class text about the literacy of attending to tasks.
You should check out Jenni Bader’s post on teaching for social justice. I think that ties into your ideas on addressing apathy in our classrooms.
Thank you!