So right now i have the opportunity to go to a certain high school in the Hattiesburg public school district. At this high school i constantly see students not doing their work, not caring, ditching class, trying to get the teacher off topic, etc. This past week when i was there, i almost fell asleep in one of the classes i was observing. My eyes were literally getting so heavy, and i was STANDING UP! This immediately began to make me mad. The teachers of this school are doing NOTHING to make school fun, interesting, and desirable for these students. They tell the students to turn to a page in their book, do the work and turn it in, all while they are seated at their desk eating, talking on the phone, and playing games on the computer! These teachers are feeding the fire of destruction in each of these students lives. These students and teachers are all stuck in this bubble and world that they complain about constantly yet do nothing to better themselves. These students don't even know how to better themselves, because the very people who are supposed to help them and teach them how, are holding them back! UGH! It angers me. I know everyone really doesn't care to read my dissertation on this so i will move on.
Needless to say, motivation is very important to me. I believe school should be fun, something students look forward to, and feel held accountable for. School should be the place where students learn not only their academics, but who they are, what they love, and how to do exactly what it is they want to do. Nothing makes me more angry then week after week watching this one student in particular look like he is so miserable he would rather be dead! This is where the teachers come in. We as teachers need to provide an environment for our students where they feel challenged, yet not intimidated. They need to be motivated, assisted, and guided when doing their work. Every student needs to feel that they are a needed and valuable part of the community of learners. This is when students begin to learn, and desire to explore the world of knowledge around them.
Something in the book that made me say AMEN!
"Teachers who are skillful in understanding their students as individuals and a product of their experiences are in a good position to motivate. When teachers fail to acknowledge what students know, they risk alienating them by ignoring a big part of their personal identity."
(Pg.190 under "The prior knowledge-Motivation Connection)
First of all just the heading makes my heart happy. Of course there is a prior knowledge motivation connection. Not every student is going to be motivated the same way. Not every students is going to be motivated for the same things. Find out what the students enjoy, what they are good at, and what will wake them up in the morning excited to go to school. For some students it is as simple as getting an A on their report card. For some students, its getting a better grade than their friend. For some its race cars and dirt bikes, others may be horses and teddy bares! For some students, the teacher needs to dig around and see what experiences they have that they can use to motivate them. "When teachers fail to acknowledge what students know, they risk alienating them by ignoring a big part of their personal identity." This is some good stuff!!!!!
Whitney, nice disclaimer. I find myself giving them out all the time. :) I'm sorry you had to experience such a neg exp at HHS, but honestly, I'm proud that it angers you. I guess my question is how can we make things "fun" and motivating and balance that with responsibility (which can sometimes be more a discipline than fun)? John
ReplyDeleteWOW.... Whitney! I see that you were ver angry! And I do agree with alot of what you said. So many schools are just teaching the students what they HAVE to and not caring about anything else. They are just trying to make it through. I noticed numerous times in your blog that you discussed how bored these students at this particular school were. Now ask yourself... What can the teachers do to make school more than just school and a place to learn content? What can they do to up the students interest in whatever they teach? What makes those students so bored? And could it be their attitude. Many times it is the teacher not making learning fun but it could also just be the students attitude and them not wanting to learn. So many times teachers lack the ability to provide motivation. They think that the students can be motivated within themselves and many times that is not the case. We, as future teachers, need to learn how to fix these problems so schools can be a fun and interesting place to be and students aren't bored out of their minds!
ReplyDeleteI love your “soap box” because I am at the same school you are speaking of and see the same things you are talking about. It enrages me in the same way it does you. I hate seeing the teachers that do the same thing over and over with their students. What if these teachers woke up one day and said I’m going to change the way my classroom is. I think the students would automatically ask themselves what is going on, which would in turn engage them in what the teacher was doing/ motivate them. I loved your AMEN quote because almost my entire post was on it!
ReplyDeleteSo how aggravating is it to see all of this negative ness by students, yet having nothing done on the educators parts? Perhaps we have had this convo. once before, but I too get enraged with my surroundings at time. We long for a day when we can provide an education much better than the one we received in grade school (one filled with direct instruction and boringness), but sometimes I would gladly take that over what these kids are getting right now. What saddens me even more is that these students do not feel as though they are being robed of knowledge. They look at their classes or lack there of as chances to get out of doing work or just something they have to do until they graduate or turn eighteen. I find myself torn on whether to feel sorry for them or to be aggravated with them. So what needs to be done to get motivation and prior knowledge into these situations? Well first of all, I really think (and I hate to say this) that class has to first begin before these things can be implemented. And by class I mean actually delivery of education, not the bell ringing and students coming into the room. Second of all teachers that actually care to do more than just receive a pay check must be employed. Teachers should be willing to start from scratch with the student if need be, not just move forward and hope that the kinks will get worked out or the kid will be someone else’s problem later on. I won’t even bring up state testing…. UGH!!
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