I think that the most unmotivated I have ever been to finish an assignment was in fourth grade (haha! I know) when we had to read a couple chapters (I don't remember how many pages) in the book The Sign of the Beaver. I HATED that book and I remember kneeling on the couch, facing backwards to look out the window it backed up to with the book in my hand. I remember being so made at my mom for making me read it and thinking I was being tortured. I don't think I have ever been so frustrated with school and teachers in my life. I still remember it and that was 12 years ago! I honestly don't think I finished it and if I didn't absorb a single word. The things that did keep me working was my parents pressure and the fear of failing and that was not very motivating. I didn't want to do the assignment because I taught the book was so boring. It was about a boy who lived in the wilderness and taught a Native American to read and he taught him about nature. I remember thinking that it was such a "boy book" and I could not relate. I have always been a really slow reader so getting myself to do it was already challenging and when I didn't like the subject either it was all over. I do not remember getting any punishment for not finishing the assignment so I either faked it or have erased the memory of getting in trouble from my mind.
I think the most important way to motivate your students to do work is to make sure that the work load is not overbearing, and that what they are doing is in some way relevant to them. No student likes to do busy work!!! There is one student in my field experience that has the worst work ethic I have EVER seen in a student. However, I did get him to be productive for a few weeks when he began working on a mural that he had come up with. I think that because he had the authority and got to do what was interesting to him he actually felt some desire to work. However, once the project was finished he went back to not working on anything. This student has taught me the importance of student autonomy.
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Student autonomy was a good idea to pull out of that. I think hating busy work is something that is quite possibly shared by students across the board, and yet teachers still do it. Its as if we don't think education is even supposed to be meaningful to individual students.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is important to make your projects meaningful to students or open enough that each students individual interests are able to be included in work. Good reflection!
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