There is none. One of the biggest challenges I have found from what minimal teaching experience I have had as an intern, is that it is borderline impossible to get students to do something because they really want to. It is always for a prize. Do the work, get the grades. It is completely extrinsic.
What is even more difficult and frustrating is that when teaching students ESL, the entire system is based off of reward. Because there is such an impeding language barrier, the reward system has to be broken down to the most elementary level. If you are my student and your performance is excellent for that one class period in which I have you, I will give you 5 stamps ("lemons") in your stamp book, and whenever you decide to, you can cash in that stamp book for a prize. A CD, a coloring book, or, for the ones with the most self control, a portable DVD/TV/Internet device. If your behavior is bad or if you act out in my class, I am supposed to give you anywhere between 0-4 stamps for the day. So how am I supposed to teach my students to care about something when they get points based on good behavior? I know this system is implemented in thousands of schools internationally, but it's so defeating when you know that they're only doing it so that at the end of the day, they can take home some free music. And what about the kids who don't even care about the stamps? It's not like I can call their parents and tell them that their child needs to put more effort into their English education. I am consistently reminded of my lack of control as an ESL teacher. The most I can do is send a student out in the hall if they don't do their homework, so that they can then copy their homework from a friend whilst sitting in the office, undoubtedly enjoying their time more outside of class than they would inside of it anyway.
I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to have the ability to motivate my students to want to learn. Simple enough. I can do that with students whose first language is English. I have not been able to strike a chord or ignite any sort of affinity for education doing what I am doing now. There is a reason I spent my time getting a degree in secondary education rather than elementary education. As cute as my kids are, I want to be able to hold a real conversation with them rather than spend half of my class singing heads, shoulders, knees and toes. I want to be able to relate to them and joke with them and get them to love knowledge and the pursuit of having an active mind.
Le sigh. Some day.
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Hi Laura,
ReplyDeleteI think there will always be kids that are more motivated to learn than others - regardless of age or rewards. If you only touch just a couple of them - you will have succeeded. Please don't be discouraged.
Love ya,
Michele
ditto! and sometimes you touch them in ways you may not recognize. They are so enamored with americans and american culture, that just by being there and just by being you, you will influence them and they will remember you and all that you bring to the table. They're lucky to have you!
ReplyDeletexoxoxoxo
p.s. I'm interested in Jane and Ted's opinion on this too!
well
ReplyDeletewhy not this:
more lofty goals for bigger prizes? or something of that nature.. the more questions they get right, or the more homework they turn in.. then they get x amount of lemos
and, a little more on the other side as well.. you lose 2 points every time you don't have hw completed. and even, at the end of each week or something the person (or people.. ie.. boy and girl) with the most points gets that cd or coloring book.
you get it.
just make things more complicated to achieve make them strive for something.. even if it is the lemos they really want, the end result is more positive than before.
good luck!
.brother
Jeff-
ReplyDeleteLemos made me laugh. And your suggestions are really good, especially since we already do all of them. :)
As far as the reward system goes, when dealing with young children, many people believe you have to trick them in to learning by using extrinsic motivation. The idea is that the students think it's all about the reward, but in the process of trying to get the reward, they are unknowingly learning things. The problem with that method is...once you bring material rewards in to the picture, the motivation to learn just for the sake of gaining knowledge is often reduced significantly or altogether disappears. Why gain knowledge and behave well just for personal satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment when you already know you can be rewarded monetarily for these things? It's why people keep well-paying jobs that they hate and are gaining nothing from. It's also why volunteer work is not very popular with adults.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine it being difficult to reverse this kind of conditioning, and it's unfortunate that it has become such a popular form of motivation in schools (and life in general.) I am teaching a Creative Writing class right now (as a volunteer) and even though it's giving me an immense amount of personal satisfaction helping these kids, I have been told so many times, "And it will look great on your resume!" that I am actually starting to lose the intrinsic motivation I had in the beginning. Now it feels like this: Teaching class = better resume = better job = more money = happiness. Frankly, I don't want to look at it that way...but now that it's in my head, I feel like it's nearly impossible to go back.
I know this doesn't help you very much, but I just want you to know that I completely understand your frustration. I think the solution is to continue to do what you love and, like Michele said, you will succeed even if you touch only one student. At the very least, it's an interesting study in behavioral psychology!
Megan,
ReplyDeleteSo we can say conclusively that it is a societal problem and that our age does not define the, um... motivational trickery. Although I complained in this post, I must say that as a child I don't think I would have ever done anything unless there was something in it for me. Saying that out loud really makes you think about the effort we exude, and to what extent we will try and succeed depending on the monetary value we are offered.
Hmm. So anyway, Creative Writing. I call, we talk. Exchange ideas/lessons. I love you so much.
i see.
ReplyDeletewell, that's good then.
glad they know what they're doing =)
but, as far as teaching kids for the sake of learning.. that will come soon enough.
just.. not while you're teaching that age group.
talk to you soon!
I love you too baby, let me know when you are going to call so I will be around! By the way, I didn't realize the message you left was YOU, but it makes me so happy to know that it was!
ReplyDeletelovelovelove
Something to consider is that learning as its own reward is developmental and very much related to past experience. Little kiddos live in the moment and do require dense amount of attention and reinforcement which is not the same thing as rewards so it's unfortunate you have to use the extrinsic reward system. For every day you question what you're doing you will have another day that is so inspiring and fulfilling you will know exactly why you chose to be a teacher.
ReplyDeletelaura. children are the same as dogs. we train them. not just over there, here too, all over. humanity.
ReplyDeleteroll over, puppy! good puppy, here's your treat.
learn to speak english phonetically, kiddies. good kiddies, here's your lemon.
eh well, constant reflection and emotional turmoil, second guessing yourself and questioning society...occupational hazard.
i love it!
-nito
Hi Laura,
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying your blogging so much, thank you!
re: I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to have the ability to motivate my students to want to learn.
i just wanted to say how beautiful a sentiment and goal that is -- a perfect sentiment from the heart of a true teacher. I have no doubt you will see your goals realized more and more, as the years roll by. And I'm quite sure that (as your mom said), you are influencing them by what you *are* at least as much, probably more, than what you teach them.
thanks for posting all the pictures and videos. i especially enjoy seeing/hearing about the temples in the area.
love,
uncle fred (UFO)