Home | Resources | ATPE News | Winter 2009 | In the Classroom
In the Classroom
by Kris Childers, professional development coordinator
Reaching the “unreachables”
As the newness of the school year wears off, many teachers find themselves struggling with students who behave as if they just don’t like to learn. Students might seem unmotivated to complete tasks and frequently complain about school in general. So how do you reach the “
unreachable” students—those who don’t display an intrinsic motivation to learn?
In a 2009 study, Illinois State University researchers John Rugutt
and Caroline C. Chemosit stress the correlation between motivation and students’ levels of involvement and academic achievement. Rugutt and Chemosit identify three areas that greatly influence student motivation: student-faculty interactions, students’ critical thinking skills and student-to-student relations.
Helping students believe in themselves
In their interactions with students, faculty members—including teachers, administrators, para-educators and counselors—have the ability to positively influence students’ self-efficacy (an individual’s perceived belief of what he can or can’t accomplish). Dr. Debbie Silver, a keynote speaker at Leader U 2009 and an ATPE member, addresses the importance of self-efficacy in her presentation “Do We HAVE to Do This? What Research Tells Us About Motivation.”
“People with high perceived self-efficacy try more, accomplish more and persist longer at a task than people with low perceived self-efficacy,” Silver says.
She offers educators the following suggestions for promoting self-efficacy:
- Praising a student’s intelligence sends the message that the student must be perfect at that point in time. Instead, focus on the processes or strategies students used, the effort they put forth or the choices they made.
- Constructive criticism should help students understand how to fix something and make it better. Such feedback should not label the child.
- Understand that all children can set goals for learning and that talent is not a goal. Every child can expand her knowledge and skills.
“One size doesn’t fit all!” says Kevin Tutt, a Jim Ned CISD school board member and presenter at the upcoming 30th Annual ATPE State Convention. “You have to know differences in students’ motivation [and learning styles] and work to meet the needs of all your students, not just the ones who learn like you do.”
Promoting critical thinking skills
As educators focus more on the importance of helping students develop so-called “21st-century skills,” such as innovation and creativity, they are exploring different tools and resources for classroom use.
Tutt recommends putting technological resources such as cell phones, iPods, YouTube videos, gaming software and cameras to use in order to spark students’ interest in the curriculum. Doing so connects school to students’ outside interests.
“Most kids are trying to get out of school so they can get home and learn [using technology],” Tutt says. “We need to put technology into the hands of every student to help motivate kids to learn at school.”
Allowing students to make choices as they learn also increases motivation. Students are often empowered by selecting their own assignments and projects or even their own groups or lab partners. Using student-created rubrics also allows students to feel personal control over their grades and thus their learning.
“Ultimately, as long as students are able to show they’ve mastered the skill or topic being taught, the method in which they reach that goal should be up to them,” Tutt says.
Nurturing interaction between students
Students ultimately learn not only from their instructors but also from their peers. Educators can build activities for students that help foster positive student relationships and allow students to help one another develop talents and abilities.
Educators should work to cultivate a sense of belonging for all students in their classes. Project-based learning in which students are grouped according to varied skill and talent levels is a good way to promote development of student-to-student communication skills. Effective communication skills should not be assumed as innate in students, and a community of respect should be established so students feel safe in their learning environment.
Above all, educators should keep these words from Silver in mind: “Effective teachers believe in the potential growth of both intelligence and talent in all learners; they are committed to finding the optimal challenge of ‘just beyond the grasp’ but within the reasonable capabilities of each and every student.”
Hear Kevin Tutt’s presentation “The Secrets to Student Success” at the 30th Annual ATPE State Convention, March 25–27 in Austin.
BOOK REVIEW: Create lifelong readers
You might know Keller ATPE member Donalyn Miller by another name: the Book Whisperer. Miller, a champion for literacy, is the author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child, a book in which she shares her ideas for promoting a lifelong love of learning in children.
“My motivation for writing the book came from my concern that reading, as it is commonly taught, actually turns kids off of reading instead of inspiring them to read more,” says Miller, a sixth-grade language arts teacher. “I consider it my responsibility to instill an appreciation for books and reading that extends outside the school walls. I believe that creating life readers and developing academic reading skills are not exclusive goals.”
In The Book Whisperer, Miller says she set out to write “the book that I always wished I could find when I was learning how to teach.” She suggests daily reading rituals such as independent reading, book discussions and self-reflection. The book includes the “Ultimate Library List” for creating a “killer library” and reproducible student worksheets. Miller also recommends her favorite Web sites for students and teachers.
“The one message I [want] readers to take away from my book is that most children can find the joy in reading if given the opportunity to read daily, choose their own books and engage in authentic conversations about what they read,” Miller says.
Follow Miller’s Teacher Magazine blog and attend her presentation titled “Creating a Classroom Where Readers Flourish” at the 30th Annual ATPE State Convention, March 25–27 in Austin.
ATPE NEWS POLL
As an educator, what do you believe is the No. 1 problem affecting student motivation at your school?
a. Students’ lack of self-efficacy (belief in themselves and what they can accomplish)
b. Negative peer relationships
c. Poor student-educator interactions
d. Students’ lack of choice in their education
Cast your vote, and then discuss your opinion in the ATPE Idea Exchange, an online community where veteran educators share ideas with their newest colleagues.
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