How to Approach Student Apathy, and What a Huge Nerd I Am...

After yesterday's inspirational post, I thought I would tackle something a bit more challenging: what to do when student's just don't seem to care.  I don't know a single teacher who doesn't encounter this in one way or another.  The reality is that we have a number of students who have either made the decision not to engage or no longer see the value in education.

It's important to remember that the reasons for this are as diverse as the students we are trying to reach.  Maybe the material just isn't exciting enough, or perhaps the student has other more important things on their mind from social concerns to troubles at home.  Whatever the reasons might be, this has become one of the most frustrating issues for me on both a personal and professional level.

I came across an article in the Washington Post that offered a few suggestions that I started to mull over a bit.  It begins with recognizing that "teachers are expected to combat apathy by continually finding new and innovative ways to reach students - through multimedia lessons, group work, games, alternative assessments or whatever it takes."  According to the author, "the real danger is that this way of thinking has shifted the responsibility of learning, and of caring about learning, from the student to the teacher."

So far so good, right?  Seeing the world as Principal Skinner can't be all bad, can it?

As a suggestion, the author offers two suggestions in order to see the much desired improvement:

1. There is a need to change the conversation about education.  Teachers and policy makers should naturally strive to make improvements to instruction and assessment, but this also needs to include clarifying the role of students in their own learning.
2. Teachers and parents need practical strategies to encourage students to take responsibility for their own education.  We need to help kids develop the habits and discipline that will lead to success.

This isn't anything I hadn't heard before and admittedly left me wanting for more.  Fortunately, the author provides at least one promising strategy that I have seen work: chunking.  At this time of year, I've already been involved in a number of conversations with students regarding their academic fate and it can be pretty overwhelming for some of these kids who have chosen to tune out most of the year.  The task of digging their way out of such a huge hole, though, is incredibly daunting and I can understand why some would still continue to 'take the zero' and give up.  Breaking the task into smaller, more manageable steps can certainly help to build a feeling of accomplishment.

While each student should be considered individually, here are a few other things that have helped me:

• Always go back to the relationship piece.  This can be tough but it has always surprised me just how powerful a positive relationship can go to improving things.  Finding time to get out of the classroom for a bit and walking next to some of my more apathetic students only to ask them something... ANYTHING... about their plans for the weekend or where they got their new hat.  I don't always take the time to ask about their lives and having genuine interest in who they are has more often than not given me just enough energy to start turning things around.
• Ending so-called 'lectures' on the upswing.  Maybe they deserve it but I can do better to remind myself that some of these kids hear the same things over and over at school and once they get home.  I will try to end one-on-one conversations with students on some sort of positive note.  "You haven't been doing your homework and you stole that phone from another student in the class.  These are problems with real consequences.  But... I think you are a leader in this class and people look to you more than you realize.  Let's try to use this energy a little bit differently.  What are some things that I can do to help with this?  

At a recent District PD, Dr. Jody Carrington told us that "every kid deserves a champion."  I know that I can keep this in mind a bit more regularly, and especially with some of my more challenging students.  Without knowing that someone is there for them, how can I possibly expect to care about anything I have to say?

What strategies have worked for you?  Feel free to leave your thoughts below.

Dungeons and Dragons

Back in February, I was watching the following video with my older boys:

And then we kept watching it.  I was honestly a little surprised at how quickly I soon found myself online making a bit of an order...

I even ended up taking my kids to the local Comic shop and buying them their own set of dice.  I'm still feeling pretty overwhelmed with the whole thing, and certain distraction has probably pulled me away from my efforts to learn and understand game mechanics.

I'm hopeful that I can get a handle on things during the Easter Break (which can't come fast enough).  I may just have to report on my progress.

~Mr.T

Student Motivation and My Latest Song Crush

If there's one issue that probably provides some of my greatest challenges as a teacher, it would probably be dealing with student motivation: either encouraging it and keeping it intact, or trying desperately to overcome what often appears to be a lack of it.  Learning anything obviously requires some sort of interest or investment in order for it to sink in.  Even if material or concepts are disliked, a recognition of the value of what one is doing is essential in order to see growth and progress.  This really shouldn't be a foreign concept to anyone.

Almost every day, I'll sit down with students who appear to need some help only to encounter a shrug, a vague expression, or the expression that they don't know what to do or understand why they need to do this in the first place.  The easy thing would surely be to lay blame on these students and tell myself that I tried and quickly move on to someone more interested.  More often than not, though, I have to remind myself that there must be some reason for this detachment and I need to figure that out.  Easier said than done.

I came across an article on Edutopia that addresses four strategies for improving student motivation.  I don't wish to simply repeat everything from the summary, but I do have a few quick thoughts:

1.  Providing students with freedom of choice (organizational, procedural, and cognitive.

I think most people would agree that having some kind of input is a good thing.  It reinforces the belief that you are an active participant in the classroom and not simply a passive observer.  Knowing that your perspectives will be heard and considered can go a long way towards convincing someone that they belong.  I appreciated the distinction provided between different kinds of choice.  Organizational choice, for instance, focuses on structure for things like seating plans, group makeup, and classroom rules.  Procedural choice would mean that students can have a greater say in approaching how they're handling course work and even the very form that some of this work takes.

Cognitive choice, though, requires a greater investment on the part of the learning community.  With this third level of choice, learning becomes very student-driven with a particular emphasis on forming their own assessments, sharing what they have learned along with how they discovered their answer, and a focus on PBL (project-based learning).

2.  Giving critical feedback to build competence instead of simple praise.

I agree with the idea that sometimes we are too quick to give praise.  A quick "nice try" and the everyone-gets-a-medal movement haven't done much to add to a willingness to look more deeply at what we are doing and how we can make improvements.

I was intrigued by the strategy of "plussing" where instead of only critiquing and pointing out where mistakes were made, positive suggestions are also offered.  Pixar uses this strategy which is based on improvisation: accepting all offers on the table and making sure that you are making your partner/team look good.  It can be really easy as a teacher to notice mistakes and I can see where this can be a more than a little disheartening, especially if you are already struggling with something.  I like the idea of asking students "What if..." as a way to get them more involved and see where they can add to what has already been done.

3.  Building high quality relationships with students.

This is pretty straightforward: I can't really expect students to buy in to what I offer as a teacher if I'm not willing to buy-in to them.  The need to be friendly and provide encouragement, taking an interest in what matters to students, and remaining positive in spite of frustrations will help to convince kids that they want to be in the classroom.

I love hearing when my students say they enjoy being in my classroom.  Any teacher would love to hear that.  It also crushes me when I hear the opposite and end up feeling like I've dropped the ball somewhere.  I won't lie and say that there have been some students who have not been challenging.  No teacher (at least not one that I've seen) can reach absolutely everyone.  Seeing students for who they are, though, will go a long way to at least helping as many kids as possible.

4.  Making efforts to address relevance of new learning.

Self-reflection is probably one of the things that I've struggled with the most.  I regularly think about how my day went on the drive home or when I talk with my colleagues.  This isn't to be boastful or to brag about how amazing I am as an educator.  However, I don't always give my students to chance to think for themselves about the potential significance of their own learning.  "Why do we have to do this?" is so often asked and the answer I usually give is that it's in the curriculum.  I need to step up my efforts in this area.

Having students generate their own connections through personal reflection and discussion brings their own perspective into the mix in a way that I don't always appreciate.

Principal Skinner is never wrong.

Now, this is all well and good but the question that remains for me if dealing with student apathy and the occasional instance when kids just don't care.

Some suggest that we teachers need to continue to hold all students to high standards.  Others suggest that we need to praise mistakes, build on existing strengths, and challenge the so-called 'failure mentality.'  There are number of other options that emphasize giving a choice of assignments, and incorporating student interests into assessments.  

Either way you look at it, the battle continues.


Latest Song Crush

When we bought our new minivan a few months ago, we were given a year of free satellite radio.  My two favorite stations have been those allowing me to relive the 80s and the 90s.  I came across this gem a little while ago and it has successfully lodged itself into my brain.  I certainly wasn't the biggest fan of Duran Duran as a kid, but I find it interesting just how much I gravitate to these little reminders of a time not so long ago.

~Mr.T

Teachers' Convention: Day 2

It is together... TOGETHER that we prevail!!

Another Convention has come and gone and I can honestly say that I have a greater desire to reflect upon the things that I have learned over the past few days.  This is not always easily done as the majority of sessions that I have been to don't do much beyond than share a positive and energizing message.  Now this isn't to say that they have been empty or a waste of time, but I've also been in too many situations where I've thought something was cool and quickly forgot about it as I went on with my day.  The need to act is probably my main responsibility as a conference participant.  presenters and speakers have done their job, now I need to so something with what they've shared.

As a quick follow-up from yesterday, and thanks to a suggestion from George Couros, I have now listed the 11 points of the Teaching Quality Standard on the side of my blog.  When I post, I will be making some sort of connection to what I'm expected to be as a teacher instead of just cobbling together a few thoughts that just might warrant a little bit of discussion.  It's my hope that as I am more involved as tying connecting my thoughts to my own professional development, blogging will be more meaningful for myself.

So.  What did I do today?

The day started off with an opportunity to gather with other teachers to build upon our early work with Project Based Learning.  After taking a few minutes to introduce ourselves and explain the projects that we worked with, we were given the morning to break off into smaller groups and get to work.  I can't really explain just how valuable I found this.  It was really nice to be able to work with a few colleagues and think about our successes and failures, along with our ideas for moving forward so quickly after our first try.

In 8 years of teaching, I've been introduced to a variety of different philosophies including Adaptive Schools, Instructional Intelligence, Tribes, Kagan, and PBL to name a few.  Learning new approaches to education is all part of the process and I'm certainly not the kind of teacher who wants to get in a rut and stick with my routine until I retire.  However, there are few times where I've really felt like I could take the time and debrief regarding the new ideas that I've tried to implement.  This inability to reflect isn't really anyone's fault, mind you.  Usually it stems from a feeling like I just don't have the time to detach from my busy teaching schedule to revisit what we spent so much time on.  The need to keep moving forward can be pretty relentless in school's and it doesn't always provide the chance to meditate.

I'm grateful for colleagues who I can be honest with and who are so willing to share.  It made for what I felt was a pretty productive morning where I really felt like I had something to show for my efforts: I didn't just learn about PBL but I did something with it.

I also had the opportunity to hear Brian Keating talk about sacred groves and the benefits of conservation.  He definitely had some great stories to tell about his travels to places in the world I probably won't get to see for myself.  He also shared a reading assignment that I'm intrigued with, having already discussed the topic somewhat with my wife.  I'm going to try and track down a copy of "The Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv and see if there's something to this idea of overcoming so-called Nature-Deficit Disorder.

~Mr.T

Teachers' Convention: Day 1

 

In my 8 years of teaching, I've been able to attend a number of Teachers' Conventions... each one filled with a variety of different sessions leaving me feeling anywhere from extremely bored to ecstatic and energized.  Understand that I'm not questioning the need for Teachers' Convention and the need for it in my own professional development.  I inevitably hope each year, though, that I can have more of the kinds of experiences that not only build me up but give me tangible steps for achieving relevant and realistic change within my classroom.

Today I had the opportunity to attend a keynote by George Couros, someone that I have previously followed on Twitter but hadn't really looked into all that much beyond knowing that he has been a big advocate for using technology to expand learning and innovation within the classroom.  Without going into too many specifics, his presentation focused a lot of how educators need to embrace a growth mindset, focus on building resiliency, and build meaningful relationships with students through empathy and trust.  On the whole, it was one of the better presentations that I've been to over the many Teachers' Conventions that I have attended.  While I can't say that I agree with absolutely everything that was shared, I had a lot of moments while listening where I was asking myself questions about how I could do things just a little bit differently.

First off, I can't really disagree with the desire presented that sees technology as a way to empower kids.  I love using it myself because of what it allows me to do and the connections that I can make with a much larger community.  For many students, the power given to them through a smartphone, ChromeBook, and the Internet as a whole is incredible.  My earliest exposure to the Internet mainly involved playing Warcraft II and tying up the family phone line (much to the dismay of my parents) or taking 15 to 20 minutes to download songs on Napster.  Times have changed more than somewhat.

In discussing the presentation with some colleagues, we were pretty much on the same page in terms of recognizing these benefits.  However, we weren't as universally optimistic about the prospect of having unrestricted access to technology.  We were shown examples of schools where there aren't restrictions on device usage and told of the advantages of trusting our students to do what they should be doing.  I love the enthusiasm... but I'm still struggling with how to reconcile these good intentions with my own overly practical observations.  

Take cell phone usage as one example.  The message from the presentation was that we aren't doing anyone any favours by having penalties for using cell phones and technology.  Right off the bat, we were told, this creates a feeling of distrust: we can't possibly have our students govern their own use of cell phones so we need to do it for them.  In a perfect world, I'd love to be able to trust that each of my students can stay on-task and pursue their own learning and complete their work.  However, what I usually see when many students have that kind of freedom is that they will use that to do something else like play Agar.io or some other game, send a few texts or Snapchats, or something else that doesn't necessarily have a whole lot to do with the task at hand.

Naturally, this gets me thinking about what it is that I'm asking them to do.  There was one key question that Mr. Couros shared with the audience that really stuck with me: Are students creating content in spite of or because of school?  I'm not going to lie and say that every single lesson and activity that I have in my classroom is fun and engaging and all too often I feel like I really have to push the content that needs to be taught as prescribed by the Program of Studies.  However, we were also challenged to give students the chance to make connections for themselves if we're going to establish something more relevant for them.

It's still tough for me to process all my thinking and reflection at this point.  I have concerns, yes, but at the end of the day I'm probably asking the kinds of questions that need to be asked if I'm to grow and develop professionally.  You'll likely read more about this as I can do a better job organizing my thoughts into some sort of plan.

Another One of Those Super Good Commercials

I started watching the newest season of Survivor after a few years of a break.  During one commercial break, they showed this ad and I just thought it was awesome.  

I'm going to let it speak for itself.

There's a pretty powerful and simple message here that can be applied into more than just your phone's operating system (Android is better, by the way...).  I'm excited to show this to my students and see what they think about it.

There's also a behind-the-scenes video that I quite liked, having played piano and being involved in music for most of my life.  That a piano had to be made from scratch in order to meet the demands of the ad was pretty impressive.

 

Other Thoughts from Teachers' Convention

Here are a few other thoughts that stood out to me after attending a session on using blogging to create a digital portfolio.

• linking blog entries to the Teaching Quality Standard; making some connection to what we are expected to do as professionals
• Blogging is about making connections... students can and should be encouraged to link blog content to their different course outcomes
• The process involves 4 steps: Write, Categorize, Tag, and Publish
• This is a process that is continually evolving and can be something that students and staff do over years
• I need to look a bit more into wordpress and Edublogs for next year and see if those can't be used more effectively than what I'm doing here in Blogger
• I don't use Twitter as much as I should in part because it can be a bit overwhelming to sift through all the information... I really, really like Tweetdeck now

More to come...

~Mr.T