Teach English in Manuguru - TEFL Courses

In any teaching environment, the teacher will, in his/her career, encounter students who don't really care about learning the subject at hand. The reasons for students being so indifferent can range from home/social issues to bad learning experiences in the past, any of which can cause teachers no end of frustration, for while these teachers may have the right intentions, they are often overwhelmed by the collective neediness of such students. In some case, these teachers had actual instructional time per class period severely limited as students entered in late whilst in other, more extreme cases, teachers had to "walk on eggshells" around their students with poor attitudes, in fear of receiving/suffering negative comments and/or behavior1 or perhaps even having to face angry parents or school authorities, who were only interested in ‘political correctness' and results. In a world that feeds instant self-gratification with the click of the electronic mouse or remote control, teaching something that actually takes more than 30 minutes to understand can really become an uphill battle for the teacher, who also has to fight against his/her own negative feelings of pessimism, skepticism, and cynicism1, both with the students and with their own ‘seeming' inability to motivate them to learn. It would be no surprise that many teachers are on the verge of burnout, or have experienced burnout such that their passion for teaching has waned and their love for the students has been severely blunted. Yet, even the most indifferent and ‘hardened' student is not immune from a teacher who is passionate about his/her subject; and while a teacher cannot be a superhero and solve all the students' problems, he/she can be a role model to help inspire the students to better themselves, not only in the subject, but in their own lives as well. Mendler, who wrote the book, “Motivating Students Who Don't Care”, stated that "There's no reason to be motivated unless [the student] is hopeful that this particular class is somehow going to improve [his or her] life; that coming to this school is better than not coming; that coming here and performing, producing, and behaving is better than coming here and wasting time pushing other people's buttons and doing nothing1." Thus, in order to bring these indifferent individuals to a level where they actually see the need for improvement, the teacher must make use of the small interactions with the students during the class to focus around the theme of hope- that is that the students can improve their lives through learning. With all that in mind, the teacher should always strive to achieve the following with students: 1. Establish a relationship with students – While it may seem obvious, many teachers, in their pursuit of trying to tackle difficult students ‘head on', often forget that in order to be in a position to actually influence/motivate a student2, regardless of age, is to build a relationship with them that is not based upon fear or guilt, but rather one of sincere concern and interest in them as individuals.3 2. Show students how achievement benefits life1- Success has been said to be very addictive, and by creating incremental challenges in which students can master and see the immediate gains/rewards can be a great catalyst for motivating the students by showing them that they can be successful if they tried.3 Giving specific praise and encouragements (when appropriate) can also spur even the most indifferent student to work just that bit more. 3. Motivate through passion- There can be no denying that a passionate teacher, teaching a perceived boring subject, can infuse life into even the most indifferent student.2 Thus, the most critical aspect for the teacher to have is a real love for teaching, for it is only through that love, that when expressed, will have a definite success in conveying not only information, but the passion to improve and excel in the subject at hand. In conclusion, while it is a real challenge for teachers who have to deal with indifferent students on a regular basis, they should always remember that while the challenges are great, the opportunity and benefits to shaping and improving a life can far outweigh the sacrifices made. 1Mendler, A.N (2000), Motivating Students Who Don't Care, adapted from audio recording, ASCD express, retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol1/101-mendler.aspx 2Furgerson, L (15 Aug 2011), 4 Tips for Motivating Students, Ezine Articles, retrieved from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lori_Furgerson 3 Harris, R, (14 Oct 2010) Some Ideas for Motivating Students, Virtual Salt, retrieved from http://www.virtualsalt.com/motivate.htm