11/12/2017 0 Comments Student Apathy & ways to Fight It
Now, don't get mad at me. I know any bad attitude, frustration, anger, or hurt you have has been caused by being let down by your students. They started it. So if you get called out on showing some of your resentment or it turns into your own chronic absenteeism or apathy, you'll get mad. Rightly so! But... they are kids. They will NEVER see their own actions as the cause of your problems. It's like genetically programmed into their little DNA to deny any responsibility. So if they see you stop caring, they will *think* that is all the reason in the world for them to (start) continue being apathetic. WE CANNOT LET THEM WIN. I had an administrator tell my staff this awhile ago, and I was raging angry. I thought I deserved to be mad, apathetic, resentful, bitter toward my most apathetic learners. And it was only through time that I realized that apathy breeds apathy, and I could kill more flies with honey than vinegar (is that even the right phrase? Anyway...) This mindshift was a choice, and it made my days A LOT more tolerable. Some times you have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps, remind yourself that this is YOUR classroom and you are the adult, and by golly they are NOT going to win. You WILL teach them something. They WILL learn. And they WILL like it! Some days it's a whole lot of fake-it-till-you-make-it. Some days you are so good you even convince yourself. But wallowing in (well earned and totally understandable) self pity truly has no place in the classroom. Vent to your bestie over a glass (bottle) of wine, then LET. IT. GO. (see also these decompressing strategies) My second strategy is less preachy and more tangible. Always plan with the "why" in mind.(THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME). It's a hot trend now, but for ages people have wanted to know why they are doing what they are doing. Students, teachers, parents, your own spouse--they are not being disrespectful when they ask why. They need to see the PURPOSE in their time and action. Philosophically I believe humans sense that time is finite and want to make the most of their presence and experiences on earth. That comes across wrong sometimes, but it doesn't make the idea wrong. If you plan each lesson starting with WHY the students are learning it, you'll come a long way in getting their buy-in. And let me say right now... "you'll need this for the test" or "when you're in college, they'll make you do this..." isn't going to fly. They. Don't. Care. Connect with the big ideas and essential parts of being a human. As a former psychology teacher, I can connect nearly everything to social psychology. Students are totally egocentric, but also naturally social beings. This generation cares about their climate, their environment, equality for all. They care about justice and sustainability and change and power and technology and ethics. Why are we reading Lord of the Flies? Connect it to groupthink and mob-mentality. Why do we still learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycotts? Tie it to the NFL National Anthem protests. Why are we memorizing verb tenses in Spanish? Discuss the future of American economy with the current population of immigrants and native Spanish speakers in your state. There is always a big idea, a big picture purpose. As teachers, it's our job to engage them in critical thinking that matters to us AND to them. Once you have lessons that give them their "why," capitalize on their strengths and create engaging lessons with engaging strategies to get them to... engage. Please do not underestimate the value of movement, games, conversations, laughter, brain breaks, music, and technology. I taught BELL-TO-BELL with reading, writing, listening, and speaking in almost all my lessons. I rarely sat at my desk. I was constantly managing by walking around, laughing with kids, asking them about their progress, expressing concerns, listening, and by the end of the day I was exhausted. They did most of the mental work, but I did the facilitation. And if I was bored, I KNEW they were bored. If I didn't know the why, I KNEW they wouldn't care. I am a person who loves routine but HATES monotony. So I made my classroom an engaging place. If you are looking for strategies, I suggest googling "SIOP" (Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol) or "TPT" (Total Participation Techniques) to find more. Here are some of my favorites:
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AuthorA midwest teacher in love with creating awesome opportunities for students to think, communicate, and produce. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Comfortable-Classroom
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