There are many effective strategies that can be used to motivate students, probably as many as there are teachers. But what will work for the students you have to teach? That depends on what kind of people the students are. Most kids are not internally motivated (neither are most adults). Those who already see the value in a successful scholastic experience are not a problem for the teacher or tutor responsible for preparing them. But then, those aren’t the ones who need our help.
A Google search on student motivation reveals this: search results.
A colleague of mine, Stephen Caperton, who has experience preparing and motivating students for the SAT wrote this:
“One of the things I point out to student is that the SAT counts for a third or more of college admissions just a little under GPA. Then I point out that it takes thousands of hours to create a GPA, and several hundreds of hours to change your GPA, while you can prepare for the SAT in about 80 hours spread over a month or two. Secondly I find that many students think that the SAT is a test that you can't prepare for or that it is tough. I then point out that the most advanced math is basic algebra, and almost every math problem can be solved using arithmetic. The key to doing well is understanding the question which takes a little bit of retraining to translate the questions.”
For me it’s a question of motivated teachers. A motivated teacher will motivate students, even those who don’t want to play along. Motivation and enthusiasm for learning is infectious. A teacher who is passionate about learning will attract the attention of their students. The students begin to appreciate and get caught up in the teacher’s joy in the process. Soon, they too are motivated to succeed. The reverse is equally true, a crabby, jaded, apathetic instructor will do little more than confirm the students’ suspicions that school “sucks” and that being educated is neither important nor worth their time. The teacher’s job is to light the fire for learning within the student. How can a teacher light a fire when his or her own was snuffed out long ago?
But simply being fired up is not enough. Teachers face a challenge today that is unlike any in the past. We must educate ALL students to success. ALL? Yep. How? How do you motivate someone who hates you because you want to help them? How do teach algebra to a students who can’t add? How do you guide a pupil through a series of clearly defined steps when the pupil can’t read the instructions? This is the world we teach in. Sadly, there is no single one-size-fits-all answer. The military is very success at motivating soldiers, all types of soldiers, to do all types of jobs. Why can’t public education do the same thing? Why can’t we be as effective? Well, the military is voluntary, one must sign up to be motivated, which would indicate a certain base level of motivation to start with. Public education is a requirement. Kids must go, whether they, or their parents, are motivated to do so, or not.
One place to start is by focusing on the student’s belief in themselves. Some of our kids have been severely knocked around by life. Metaphorically speaking, many are bruised and some are still bleeding. Their self-esteem is in single digits, and they just don’t believe that they are going to be successful at school, or even at life. It’s an epidemic in some groups. Can teachers overcome the failure disease? Well, the more opportunities we can create for students to experience success, even the smallest opportunities, is a start. I’ve written about spoon-feeding. We must understand that many of our students have grown up without a strong foundation. They lack the basics from proper nutrition, to a consistent place to sleep. It’s hard to be motivated when you’re hungry and exhausted. Many schools now offer free-food programs, but I’m not aware of any overnight on-campus shelters. The classroom teachers needs to be able to focus on teaching the lessons, but understanding these deeper issues can help us make appropriate adjustments.
Students need to know that you are a real human being, and that you genuinely care for their own well-being. Learning their names quickly and using their names frequently seems like an obvious start, but you may be surprised by how many teachers never take the time to do even that. Asking the students about themselves, focusing assignments that help them discover and develop who they are as people can be very effective. It is possible for students to use themselves as a focus, and yet still teach them the standards. Once the students begin to develop a finer sense of self, the next step is challenging them to service. I was recently reminded of an assignment I use to give seniors to go out and perform 20 random acts of kindness. I believe that the more we serve others, the more we invest in ourselves, and the greater becomes our self-esteem.
Developing relationships with parents is also a very effective motivator for kids. If the students know that you, their teacher, connect regularly with their parents, they will be more likely to be more cautious and make better decisions. Email is so easy. I currently teach over 200 students. No, I have not established relationships with every parent. But I have made connections with the parents of many of the students I have who are struggling. Our conversations are not always positive, but they are always constructive. It’s good for parents to know that you truly care about their children.
The bottom line is that your students must understand that you, their teacher, mean it. You mean it when you say, “how are you doing?” You mean it when you say, “you can pass this class if you work hard and complete your assignments on time.” You mean it when you say, “I will be there for you when you need my help.” The students are a blessing in our lives; we need to treat them that way.
For further discussion please check out this post.
Please post your comments below.
December 25, 2005
December 21, 2005
Why do students get “left behind”?
Teachers, administrators, parents, and most importantly, the students themselves all play a role in the life of a child who gets lost in the curriculum, and left behind to fail. (I would suppose that grade school is different than high school, so please understand that I am writing from the perspective of a high school teacher.) After many years in the classroom watching a handful of students each year fail my courses, I’ve come to the conclusion that some students will fail despite the best efforts of their teachers. A student’s success is based on more that simply whether or not the teacher does a “good job” in the classroom.
Teachers are not solely responsible for the failure or success of their students. The same lesson taught by the same teacher in the same classroom during the same hour to two different students will produce different results. What makes the difference? The student. The preparation of the student, whether or not they are prepared for the lesson at hand, and the dedication of the student, their attendance habits and their commitment to their own success make a larger difference than the lesson, teacher, or setting. Assuming this is true, what can a teacher do to ensure the student’s success? Nothing will absolutely work for every student the same way, which is why teaching is both an art and a science.
The teacher’s job is to reach out to and deliver instruction to whatever students appear on their roster. This requires the teacher to be creative in both their personal approach to the classroom and their teaching methodology. Today’s students often refuse to work for teachers they do not trust, or cannot relate to. Once upon a time a teacher could stand at the bully pulpit and preach away. It was the pupil’s responsibility to understand and interpret what they heard. There was little instructor/student interaction and it was not the teacher’s responsibility to change. This is no longer a successful teaching model.
More and more we teachers find ourselves serving as not only instructors in the lives of our students, but also as counselors, friends, and sometimes, substitute parents. The modern instructor/student relationship would be considered irregular and inappropriate 50 years ago. Yet here we are. With so much being asked of teachers it’s easy to understand that we get tired, cranky, and exhausted of juggling so many different roles and responsibilities when all we were “hired” to do was teach. But today’s teachers are more than simply instructors, we are mentors who receive less respect than we deserve and at the same time are asked to raise an entire generation. The parents who should be raising their own children are too busy working 80 hour a week jobs and negotiating custody schedules. But where else are struggling parents to turn for help with their kids? Television? Professional athletes? Other struggling parents?
Teachers do not leave students behind, parents do. However the parents are not the ones held accountable by the government, teachers are. I am not blasting parents, but rather pointing out that when a child falls behind in class it is not because of lack of instruction, but rather because of lack of participation by the student and their family. In my classroom, the only students who fail are those who do not participate either through poor attendance, or through lack of follow-through on assignments (they don’t complete or turn in their work). These students receive very little support at home for either doing their homework or even going to school at all. Parents are too busy to help their kids with homework because they are working to support their child’s education? Or is it to pay off the credit card debt, or the boat loan, or make the alimony payments? Sounds so judgmental. There are plenty of exceptions to what I am describing here. But I have participated in too may Student Study Team meetings with too many parents of struggling kids who are clearly overwhelmed by life and the choices they (the parents) have made. Time for their kids? Not today. So their kids, knowing their parents don’t place them at or even near the top of their personal priority lists react by not placing themselves or their scholastic success at the top of their own personal priority lists. Phone, friends, xbox, getting high, and random silliness all place higher than schoolwork. And so they fail and get left behind.
The current educational environment is focused on making changes in the school day to help aid student success. Teachers and administrators committed to improving test scores and graduation ratios are making progress. But this is not enough. It’s not even the right fight. Until we win the battle at home, the scuffles in the classroom will continue to be ugly bloodbaths where those who would otherwise excel are ignored while those who are in the greatest need are given undo attention. Undo? Well, they do need our help, but so do “our best and brightest.” Aren’t they all “our best and brightest?” They should be. But until students are equally prepared not only at school but at home as well, there will be no equity in achievement. The current belief is that “all can learn, all can achieve.” I support that. However the truth is that not all will learn or achieve at the same level, or at the same pace. If we educators continue to focus all of our resources on compensating for what is not going on at home, then we are failing a different population of our students, and ultimately, our global society.
I am not suggesting that we leave anyone behind. What we need is RADICAL reform and change to our public education system and our societal values. Here in California we have a high population of second language learners, and a high population of students not performing well on their standardized test? Connection? You decide. We need to meet the needs of all of our kids regardless of who they are. But instead of demonizing the teachers for environmental factors outside our realm of influence, we need to look beyond the classroom for support. Changes need to be made in our society that demand that family units stay intact, that kids are a much higher priority, and that education is not a dumping ground full of baby sitters, but an institution for improving all our students, our world, and our futures thats given a fighting chance to leave no one behind.
Teachers are not solely responsible for the failure or success of their students. The same lesson taught by the same teacher in the same classroom during the same hour to two different students will produce different results. What makes the difference? The student. The preparation of the student, whether or not they are prepared for the lesson at hand, and the dedication of the student, their attendance habits and their commitment to their own success make a larger difference than the lesson, teacher, or setting. Assuming this is true, what can a teacher do to ensure the student’s success? Nothing will absolutely work for every student the same way, which is why teaching is both an art and a science.
The teacher’s job is to reach out to and deliver instruction to whatever students appear on their roster. This requires the teacher to be creative in both their personal approach to the classroom and their teaching methodology. Today’s students often refuse to work for teachers they do not trust, or cannot relate to. Once upon a time a teacher could stand at the bully pulpit and preach away. It was the pupil’s responsibility to understand and interpret what they heard. There was little instructor/student interaction and it was not the teacher’s responsibility to change. This is no longer a successful teaching model.
More and more we teachers find ourselves serving as not only instructors in the lives of our students, but also as counselors, friends, and sometimes, substitute parents. The modern instructor/student relationship would be considered irregular and inappropriate 50 years ago. Yet here we are. With so much being asked of teachers it’s easy to understand that we get tired, cranky, and exhausted of juggling so many different roles and responsibilities when all we were “hired” to do was teach. But today’s teachers are more than simply instructors, we are mentors who receive less respect than we deserve and at the same time are asked to raise an entire generation. The parents who should be raising their own children are too busy working 80 hour a week jobs and negotiating custody schedules. But where else are struggling parents to turn for help with their kids? Television? Professional athletes? Other struggling parents?
Teachers do not leave students behind, parents do. However the parents are not the ones held accountable by the government, teachers are. I am not blasting parents, but rather pointing out that when a child falls behind in class it is not because of lack of instruction, but rather because of lack of participation by the student and their family. In my classroom, the only students who fail are those who do not participate either through poor attendance, or through lack of follow-through on assignments (they don’t complete or turn in their work). These students receive very little support at home for either doing their homework or even going to school at all. Parents are too busy to help their kids with homework because they are working to support their child’s education? Or is it to pay off the credit card debt, or the boat loan, or make the alimony payments? Sounds so judgmental. There are plenty of exceptions to what I am describing here. But I have participated in too may Student Study Team meetings with too many parents of struggling kids who are clearly overwhelmed by life and the choices they (the parents) have made. Time for their kids? Not today. So their kids, knowing their parents don’t place them at or even near the top of their personal priority lists react by not placing themselves or their scholastic success at the top of their own personal priority lists. Phone, friends, xbox, getting high, and random silliness all place higher than schoolwork. And so they fail and get left behind.
The current educational environment is focused on making changes in the school day to help aid student success. Teachers and administrators committed to improving test scores and graduation ratios are making progress. But this is not enough. It’s not even the right fight. Until we win the battle at home, the scuffles in the classroom will continue to be ugly bloodbaths where those who would otherwise excel are ignored while those who are in the greatest need are given undo attention. Undo? Well, they do need our help, but so do “our best and brightest.” Aren’t they all “our best and brightest?” They should be. But until students are equally prepared not only at school but at home as well, there will be no equity in achievement. The current belief is that “all can learn, all can achieve.” I support that. However the truth is that not all will learn or achieve at the same level, or at the same pace. If we educators continue to focus all of our resources on compensating for what is not going on at home, then we are failing a different population of our students, and ultimately, our global society.
I am not suggesting that we leave anyone behind. What we need is RADICAL reform and change to our public education system and our societal values. Here in California we have a high population of second language learners, and a high population of students not performing well on their standardized test? Connection? You decide. We need to meet the needs of all of our kids regardless of who they are. But instead of demonizing the teachers for environmental factors outside our realm of influence, we need to look beyond the classroom for support. Changes need to be made in our society that demand that family units stay intact, that kids are a much higher priority, and that education is not a dumping ground full of baby sitters, but an institution for improving all our students, our world, and our futures thats given a fighting chance to leave no one behind.
December 18, 2005
Do teachers make a difference?
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of this simple fact: teachers make a difference. A huge difference. But how can you tell if your time and energy counts for anything? How do you record the results of those long, thankless hours invested in grading papers, designing curriculum, and sometimes, wiping noses? I sometimes see the results of my influence in the success of my students after they graduate. Many come back to visit me from this university, or from that job experience. This year I’ve had alumni come to visit at least once a week. They love to share how well they are doing, or how much they like, and sometimes dislike, their jobs. I make a deal with my students on the first day they take one of my courses: if they should experience any success using the skills I have taught them, I don’t want any public recognition, I only ask for homemade tamales.
Friday I had an alumni visitor who almost didn’t graduate high school after and incident with one of our security officers. The student had made a typically bad kid decision, and was headed for expulsion. He is a big boy and the security officer who didn’t know him personally had felt threatened by his size. I went to the hearing and vouched for the boy I knew explaining his demeanor in class and the quality of work he had completed. The student was allowed to return and graduated with his class. Although this student spent at least one hour of every day of his high school career attending one of my courses, it was probably my presence at his time of greatest need that made the most difference to his ultimate success. He did not bring me tamales.
The week before a student from the same graduating class dropped by on her way back to UCSB after Thanksgiving. She is working on campus as a graphic designer while she completes her bachelor’s degree and plans on graduating in 2007. Then its off to NYU for law school. I wrote her a letter of recommendation for her undergraduate application to NYU and she was accepted (not due to my letter, she was and is a phenomenal student). However she chose to stay in California. In high school she participated as a cheerleader, in mock trial, and other activities, but it was what she learned in my classroom that is now helping support her college career. She didn’t bring me tamales either.
There are many others. The firefighter, the stereo installer, the two in film school, and the one at Stanford. Whenever I am feeling ineffectual. Whenever I am discouraged or feeling down, I try to think about the success stories that I have enjoyed the privilege of participating in (well perhaps not the stereo installer, not yet anyway.) Many teachers ask this question daily, sometimes hourly, “is it worth it?” Is the endeavor of teaching the young worth my time and energy? Sometimes it doesn’t feel like choosing teaching is worth the long thankless hours, the endless number of hoops to jump through, and the systemic disrespect for the profession. That’s most clearly reflected in our insulting pay schedule. But then, teaching is not about the pay schedule. Teaching is about making a difference.
Teaching was not my first choice. I was hung up on “those who can’t do…” I was on my way to a career as a television producer when I realized that I did not want to spend my life selling soap. After my wife and my father encouraged me to substitute part time I was hooked. I had a better feeling of satisfaction after my first day subbing then I ever had doing anything else. Plus, I had fun when I was in the classroom. I enjoyed the environment, the activities, and most importantly, the relationships that I began to forge with my students, even as a substitute. Once I got my first contract assignment the good feeling that I got from teaching grew exponentially. Even today I look at my students as more than just seat fillers. More than just identification numbers or faceless names on a roll sheet. The students are people who I get to help become better human beings. I love the beginning of the school year because it is the starting point of a wonderful rollercoaster ride the ends even better it starts. I hate the end of the school year because that’s when I have to say goodbye. I am cursed because I made fun of my fourth grade teacher, the first male teacher I was assigned, who shed a noticeable tear on the last day of school. Regardless of the painful emotions I sometimes feel, I wouldn’t want any other career.
Think about the most influential people in your life. After your parents and religious leaders, most of us point to the teachers we had growing up. Life began for me in the 7th grade when my drama teacher cast me in the school play. Up until then I had felt like a lost, lonely, loser. I wasn’t good at sports, didn’t feel popular, and hadn’t found my niche. But with the help of a teacher, I not only found my niche, but I also began to grow emotionally and gain confidence. Confidence that spread beyond the stage into the rest of my classes and other areas of my life. Without the influence of a teacher who chose not to dwell on the mental fatigue, the pointless in-service days, or the “great pay,” but instead rested on his belief that what he did actually meant something in the lives of his students, I would not be writing this now. I certainly would not have chose teaching, and instead of working with kids, would be the worlds greatest television soap-salesman (I added world’s greatest for effect only, not ego.) What a disappointment that would have been to the visitor I had Friday, the UCSB student, the firefighter, the two in film school, the one at Stanford, even the stereo installer, and all the others. I am glad I chose to teach.
Please post comments below.
Friday I had an alumni visitor who almost didn’t graduate high school after and incident with one of our security officers. The student had made a typically bad kid decision, and was headed for expulsion. He is a big boy and the security officer who didn’t know him personally had felt threatened by his size. I went to the hearing and vouched for the boy I knew explaining his demeanor in class and the quality of work he had completed. The student was allowed to return and graduated with his class. Although this student spent at least one hour of every day of his high school career attending one of my courses, it was probably my presence at his time of greatest need that made the most difference to his ultimate success. He did not bring me tamales.
The week before a student from the same graduating class dropped by on her way back to UCSB after Thanksgiving. She is working on campus as a graphic designer while she completes her bachelor’s degree and plans on graduating in 2007. Then its off to NYU for law school. I wrote her a letter of recommendation for her undergraduate application to NYU and she was accepted (not due to my letter, she was and is a phenomenal student). However she chose to stay in California. In high school she participated as a cheerleader, in mock trial, and other activities, but it was what she learned in my classroom that is now helping support her college career. She didn’t bring me tamales either.
There are many others. The firefighter, the stereo installer, the two in film school, and the one at Stanford. Whenever I am feeling ineffectual. Whenever I am discouraged or feeling down, I try to think about the success stories that I have enjoyed the privilege of participating in (well perhaps not the stereo installer, not yet anyway.) Many teachers ask this question daily, sometimes hourly, “is it worth it?” Is the endeavor of teaching the young worth my time and energy? Sometimes it doesn’t feel like choosing teaching is worth the long thankless hours, the endless number of hoops to jump through, and the systemic disrespect for the profession. That’s most clearly reflected in our insulting pay schedule. But then, teaching is not about the pay schedule. Teaching is about making a difference.
Teaching was not my first choice. I was hung up on “those who can’t do…” I was on my way to a career as a television producer when I realized that I did not want to spend my life selling soap. After my wife and my father encouraged me to substitute part time I was hooked. I had a better feeling of satisfaction after my first day subbing then I ever had doing anything else. Plus, I had fun when I was in the classroom. I enjoyed the environment, the activities, and most importantly, the relationships that I began to forge with my students, even as a substitute. Once I got my first contract assignment the good feeling that I got from teaching grew exponentially. Even today I look at my students as more than just seat fillers. More than just identification numbers or faceless names on a roll sheet. The students are people who I get to help become better human beings. I love the beginning of the school year because it is the starting point of a wonderful rollercoaster ride the ends even better it starts. I hate the end of the school year because that’s when I have to say goodbye. I am cursed because I made fun of my fourth grade teacher, the first male teacher I was assigned, who shed a noticeable tear on the last day of school. Regardless of the painful emotions I sometimes feel, I wouldn’t want any other career.
Think about the most influential people in your life. After your parents and religious leaders, most of us point to the teachers we had growing up. Life began for me in the 7th grade when my drama teacher cast me in the school play. Up until then I had felt like a lost, lonely, loser. I wasn’t good at sports, didn’t feel popular, and hadn’t found my niche. But with the help of a teacher, I not only found my niche, but I also began to grow emotionally and gain confidence. Confidence that spread beyond the stage into the rest of my classes and other areas of my life. Without the influence of a teacher who chose not to dwell on the mental fatigue, the pointless in-service days, or the “great pay,” but instead rested on his belief that what he did actually meant something in the lives of his students, I would not be writing this now. I certainly would not have chose teaching, and instead of working with kids, would be the worlds greatest television soap-salesman (I added world’s greatest for effect only, not ego.) What a disappointment that would have been to the visitor I had Friday, the UCSB student, the firefighter, the two in film school, the one at Stanford, even the stereo installer, and all the others. I am glad I chose to teach.
Please post comments below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)