As I continue down my professional path I am noticing more and more that a majority of our students do not study.
Why is this?
What are the underlining reasons for this behavior?
What do you think?
(There are so many reasons why -- I would like to hear from some of you about what you think)
Now, I have possible solutions - but to generate these without a clear understanding of the reasons behind the student behavior is something I do not like to do...
1) Assess the level of difficulty - remind yourself if your kid has any documented learning specifications
2) Be sure the student knows what you are asking for - make sure they know what studying looks like
3) Make sure the student understands the natural consequences of failing
4) Maintain consistency of expectations
5) Communicate with home
From my own experience as a kid I can say I never studied because I hated doing it. Maybe it wasn't challenging enough, but I think the primary reason was that I was forced to do it and that just doesn't sit well with kids. I wanted to build with my toys or spend time with my family in the kitchen. Study time was grueling and isolating. Had my lessons remotely related to what I was interested in at the time I would have been far more willing to put pencil to paper.
ReplyDeleteI think the medium kids use for learning and studying is more important than the actual content or underlying motivation. Engaging lessons with children in a way that speaks to them in the ways they communicate with the world is key.
Pop culture is completely separate from learning if not the polar opposite. If more children's popular characters and music and toys were angled at providing basic learning and facts then it would be easier to carry those interests and focus in and out of the classroom.