This year is my first
time teaching in secondary school. My students are amazing both in secondary
and primary. I’m not an experienced teacher, so I can’t talk a lot about my
experience. So, the next post is (more) about the investigation I have to do
for this assignment.
The
Clams
The clams are students
that are indifferent. They have this “I don’t care attitude.” Clam students need
teachers who really care. The teacher’s attitude is crucial here. If the
teacher tries to get to them, they eventually will change. If the teacher does
nothing, he/ she will prolong this attitude. No matter how frustrated their
attitude can be, one should never give up on them. We have to understand that
it’s not personal. So, if teachers really try it, students will show interest. Teachers
can try to find their interests and passion. If students feel you care, they
will, little by little, participate. Do not expect they become active students
from one day to the other. This process will take time and patience.
Here some ideas you can
try with these kinds of students
Turn Their Weaknesses
Into Strengths
- Create projects that tap into their
innate desire to make a difference in their world.
- This generation loves to interact.
Capitalize on that by integrating instant messaging (MSN) and online
bulletin boards into your assignments. They'll be so busy writing that
they won't even realize they're learning!
Engage Students in
Participation
- Enlist students' opinions whenever
possible. Involve them in the creation of assignment rubrics. Frequently
seek their feedback concerning what is happening in your classroom.
- Provide plenty of opportunities for
student choice in the way they learn and in the ways they are allowed to
demonstrate what they know. That will encourage them to take more ownership
of their learning. Acquaint yourself with Howard Gardner's work in multiple
intelligences and be open to project work that goes beyond the
traditional.
Make Sure Structures
Are in Place
- Communicate clear, reachable
expectations. Routinely provide benchmarks and rubrics at the beginning of
an assignment, so students know what they have to do to achieve.
Meet Their Emotional
Needs
- Consider publishing student work
online. Nothing seems to motivate students quite as much as knowing their
work will have an extended audience.
- Ensure that learning is meaningful
to the student. Whenever possible, make connections between the curriculum
and their lives. Doing so will enhance their interest and make the
learning (and teaching) easier.
- Teacher energy and enthusiasm can
be significant to getting disinterested students engaged in learning.
Nothing is quite as captivating as a teacher who is continually on the
brink of new learning discoveries -- students can't help being enticed to
jump on board for the learning ride ahead!
The Complainers
You
are going to encounter with complainers like it or not. The real problem is
when you have chronic complainers. Dr. Kenneth Shore shares some useful ideas
for us:
Praise the student when she makes
an effort to solve a problem. Just as you want to
ignore her/him when she/he is complaining unceasingly, you want to praise her/him
when she/he is trying to solve a problem rather than complaining about it.
Signal the student when she
complains. Chronically complaining students might not be
aware of how frequently they make negative comments. Set up a private
non-verbal signal with the student that you can use in class to alert her when
she/he is complaining and to help her/him become more aware of her/his
behavior.
Monitor the student's complaints.
Keep track of the number of times she/he complains each day. Use the results to
demonstrate to her/him how often she/he complains and to determine if she/he is
making progress in decreasing the behavior.
Have a wonderful day! :)
I'll have in mind your suggestion!!Thanks for sharing.Noe
ResponderEliminar