"Sometimes, problems with motivation arise from complicated dilemmas that arise from different values around education at home and at school." (pg 194) Children who come from families who are poor sometimes do not have access to research books or the Internet at home. Their parents may have an elementary/junior high education, so the parents may not know how to motivate the children to learn because they were never motivated as a child attending school. The parents may fear that the "educated" teacher may try to influence their child to succeed in life and it will cause conflict within the family because the student may feel he/she is better than their parents. Another aspect is that students in High School may feel they need to drop out of school so they can get a job and help their parents financially. Parents may feel that this may be the best solution to their financial woes, but it is usually just a short-time solution because down the road, the student will find out that they should have stayed in school and received an education because the fast food employment does not provide an income that supports a family's needs.
Anticipation Guides: I think anticipation guides are a great tool in the classroom. It gets the students interested in what they will be reading, writing, or listening to in the lesson. The students are able to see what they know about a particular subject, and determine what they want to find out about the subject in the lesson coming up.
K-W-L charts: KWL charts a activate student's prior knowledge by seeing what the students know, what they want to know, and after the lesson is taught, they write what they learned in the lesson. I think KWL charts work well in elementary classrooms because they get students interested in what is coming up in the lesson. It also allows students to hear what other students know about a particular subject.
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Wonderful post, Lisa. The opening quote is poignant and thought-provoking for me. How do we contend with different value systems our students bring from home? Also, check out Brooke's post and see what you think about her comments concerning "anticipation guides." John
ReplyDeleteGreat post Lisa! So how can we as teachers successfully motivate students to learn without clashing with what they hear at home?
ReplyDeleteSorry I left this off. Check out Brittany D's blog on some ways that she suggests teachers motivate students.
ReplyDeleteGood point on all the different situations students' may come from. I'm sure some poor, uneducated people may find educational success as intimidating, but I think it is an example of their own ignorance. Of course, we shouldn't just come out and say that to them, but we should as ourself "How can I make a difference? or How can I influence their understanding of the importance of education?" This may seem like an impossible task, but I believe its worth attempting.
ReplyDeleteAs far as not having internet at home, I totally can testify to the inconvenience myself. I don't have internet at home and it makes life a little hardier when trying to complete most of the assignments we are required to do here at USM. So, we need to remember this when we become teachers and allow adequate time in our class for technological resources. The big question may be "How do I find the time to let my students utilize these resources and still cover my content?"
Ms Edwards,
ReplyDeleteI feel that it will be difficult to find ways to motivate children who have different views given to them by their homelife, but I will do my best to value the parent's concerns while teaching the subjects I need to teach. I can use video clips, music, art, and literature to add variety and motivate students in my class.