Teaching Children Who Have Given Up
Teacher Problem:
“I have worked with some really unmotivated children who I have failed to reach, and I don’t believe your suggestions will work.”
Greg’s Response:
I am guessing that you have had experience working with, or observing children who have given up and who have perhaps exhibited some anti-social behavior, or some sort of learning problem.
I have observed children who exhibit low levels of motivation and, indeed, appear to be learning disabled, emotional disturbed, non-complaint, and so forth. It has been my experience, over a number of years that these same children respond positively to an environment that respects their experiences and concerns, and which helps them succeed at their specific “zone of proximal development.”
I have not seen these children benefit from either a traditional classroom environment, nor from any “special” pull-out program that was designed to meet their needs. However, I have seen these children excel in a workshop environment when there is a teacher who is well-trained and who has a belief in the conditions of learning that are described by Brian Cambourne.
Children are lucky if they get to experience what we sometimes call “good first teaching.” The children who don’t get it, and who tend to get confused with the abstractions and often impersonal nature of a traditional learning environment often give up and decide they are out of the game, becoming behavior problems, learning to become helpless, or becoming a confusion to the adults around them. If a child misses an opportunity for “good first teaching” in Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade — approaches must be made to bring the child back to who he or she really is. Sometimes these children get suckered into taking on a persona that makes them appear defective. They often become self-involved in failure. If these children are not jump-started (of course without blowing their cover) , the consequences can be catastrophic for the child and his family, in terms of the child’s mental health and limited options in this society — options for emotional growth, employment opportunities, opportunities for advanced study, and the wherewithal to become an effective parent and a contributing citizen.
The key to jump-starting a child who is having serious difficulty is two-fold:
(1) Re-introducing the child to the capable individual that he is — this often comes from spending high quality moments with the child in an arena that does not overwhelm him or her with concerns of school. Sometimes this can happen on the playground, the basketball court, before school, after school – or working collaboratively on something, like an aquarium. It also involves conversations with the child about real life — like about flat tires on bicycles, football cards, dancing, music, surfing, etc. Once a sense of trust begins to develop between the child and at least one school adult then…
(2) …the child is ready to get involved in things like “reading to, with, and by,” and writing his or her own books either through a writing process where he receives support, or with a technique called “innovation on text.”
We know enough now to reach every child, but there are no silver bullets or quick fixes. Effective child development takes time. If the child can talk — he can learn to read and write – under the right conditions as long as he has a teacher who is cognizant of the “principles of engagement.”
Something that reminds me of the promise of success for children who are experiencing difficulty is a quote (I’ll paraphrase) by Vygotsky: “What a child can do with help today, he can do on his own tomorrow.” This statement summarizes Vygotsky’s theory of the “zone of proximal development.” It requires us to adjust what we are doing to meet the child where he is — NOT where the curriculum is, or where someone working in some office in Kansas City who writes textbooks thinks the kid ought to be. This is why it is so important that our kids have “up-to-date, with-it” teachers.
Is it easy to deal with a kid who has given up? You know the answer. It can be challenging as well as frustrating. But with a lot of patience and faith, and using good theory and research, it can be done – and must be done.
gregswimelar 