The next Education Development and Discussion Group (EDDG) is on Tuesday 3rd March and Thursday 5th March @ 12.15-1.15 pm , in room 810 . The discussion topic is ‘Engaging the reluctant learner’ . If you have any links to articles etc. which relate to this topic, please send them to me for distribution.
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Suggested article to read from Carole Paterson: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/sept04/vol62/num01/The_Engaged_Classroom.aspx
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Carole also recommended ‘Getting the Buggers Motivated in FE’ by Susan Wallace and, thoughtfully, summarises it for us a bit ...
Wallace (post-compulsory education, Nottingham Trent U., UK) offers thoughtful advice for teachers in "further education" (ages 14 to adult in the UK) who need advice on motivating unmotivated learners. She frames the advice in narrative vignettes followed by bulleted lists of steps and strategies. Characterizing the four major "demotivators" as fear, boredom, previous negative experience, and loss of hope, the author takes on specific populations (e.g. 14-16 year olds, English as a second language students) and discusses strategies that include reward as motivation, the use of entertainment, the motivating power of positive relationship-building, and exercises in self-respect in terms of each of the four concerns.
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Anyone like to share their thoughts on the article that Carole suggested (“The Engaged Classroom”)? I think that it brought up some interesting issues. One point relates to the nature of the relationship between teacher and students. It says in the article at one stage “Teachers who connected with students told poignant personal stories, conveyed their passions, and expressed emotion and vulnerability.”
I have to say that I like this notion. However, I’m not sure if FE lecturers in Scotland would see this as a model to aspire towards (possibly there are cultural differences at play here between the west coast of America and the east coast of Scotland).
This article deals with the issue of boredom. It’s very interesting to see the various portraits of students’ minds. Of course, when confronted with a disruptive or challenging class, I’m sure some of us would settle for a bored class in its place!
But I think the fundamental point that I get out of this is the importance of the nature of the relationship between students and teacher. I don’t think that we can come up with an exact formula for this - each relationship will differ with the dynamic and personalities of particular classes and tutors. Possibly, though, there are some guiding principles which will allow positive learning relationships to grow?
Having read the article and half of Susan Wallace's book 'Getting the Buggers motivated in FE' book, I though I'd share some of my thoughts.
My first thoughts have been that I've been very lucking in my 16 years of teaching as most of the students I've encountered have always been very motivated . However, I've had to reflect a bit more and consider what conditions exist which act as motivators for the students.
Susan Wallace discusses the importance of Carl Roger's work on the core conditions needed to develop positive relationships with students, particulary 'unconditional postive regard'. This is the underlying value of social care/work as well (my background) , and therefore something I (and others in the team) pay a great deal of attention to. A lot of effort and angst goes into 'getting to know' the individual student , as well as developing the group.
I agree that there isn't an exact formula, but there are many examples of things we could do that would help students feel valued and motivated and develop a more rewarding environment for both students and teachers. Perhaps we could share some ideas here and at the EDDG meetings.
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