Phases of thinking and learning

Motivation

One of the key factors to a student’s productivity is how intrinsically motivated they are to be productive. “When students are intrinsically motivated to learn they learn more, exhibit better behavior, are happier and aspire to contribute to the betterment of society. Intrinsically motivated learners have a greater sense of well-being and are more engaged in the classroom because they understand the inherent benefit of education” (Froiland 2012) While it is possible for outside forces to create motivation by suggesting artificial end results (prizes, competition) a student who is intrinsically motivated is capable of seeing the value of accomplishing a task at hand or developing a new skill.

While my own classroom experiences may vary greatly from a STEM instructor, as a general rule, intrinsic motivation is most likely to be developed by putting ownership of education into the student’s hands. Some would call this a democratic classroom, often described as being a part of the blended learning process. Giving students the ability to have a choice in what or how they study puts the ball in their court where achievement is concerned. The manner in which the teacher presents these choices is particular to the material and the existing classroom environment. For example, if the teacher is generally lecturing, then allowing students to prepare materials on their own and then lead discussions is a way to move toward a democratic classroom. Other options would be allowing students to have a choice between topics of study that may all satisfy the curriculum content standards or giving options for group work or individual study.

Differentiated instruction

In order for a teacher to have the most success with teaching every student, they must develop pathways for students with different needs to have success, keeping in mind that there should be no concessions regarding the demand of the content. “The use of single-paced lessons delivered through a singular instructional approach disregards the different learning styles and interests present in all classrooms.” (Subban 2006) Students may require anything from a different seating arrangement, a request from a teacher to repeat directions, or frequent breaks. In most districts across the country, there are documented individualized learning plans for any student who needs them.

On this topic, Gardner is the most respected and cited educational philosopher: the “theory of the multiple intelligences is a departure from the view that intelligence is a single, measurable unit” (Gardner 1999) Using all available resources and paying close attention to how and when students succeed are the keys to appropriate providing differentiated instruction.

Persistence

To say that persistence is an often overlooked characteristic of an effective teacher is not quite making the whole point. Some teachers are still of the mind that the lecture occurs and then it is on the student to retain or record the information. However, it becomes more necessary for the teacher to find different ways to provide the same content to the students if the teacher hopes for a high percentage of their students to achieve the standard set forth by the curriculum.

This becomes more complicated with students who are different learners: “Teaching children with challenging behaviors places a premium on teacher persistence, as does teaching children who learn more slowly or have disabilities that require complicated adaptations. Teaching young children can also demand extra teacher persistence, for young children often require an enormous amount of repetition in their learning.”. (Wheatley 2002)

A 2012 publication Increasing Persistence: Research-based Strategies for College Student Success suggests that there are a few key factors to influencing persistence:

“Finances, support, work, family, and community.” (Habley 2012) Depending on the district and the resources at hand, more or less emphasis is placed on the teacher’s persistence. Without adequate resources or familial support for the student, the necessity for the persistence of the educator becomes greater and greater.

Resources:

Gardner, H. (1999). The Disciplined Mind: What all Students Should Understand. New York:

Simon and Schuster.

Froiland, J. M., Oros, E., Smith, L., Hirchert, T., (2012) Intrinsic Motivation to Learn: The Nexus between Psychological Health and Academic Success. University of Northern Colorado Contemporary School Psychology, 2012, Vol. 16. https://www.casponline.org/pdfs/pdfs/intrinsic_motivation.pdf

Habley, W. R., Bloom, J. L., Robbins, S. (2012) Increasing Persistence: Research-based Strategies for College Student Success. Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint

Subban, P. (2006)Differentiated instruction: A research basis. International Education Journal. http://iej.com.au

Wheatley, Karl F. (2002) Teacher Persistence: A Crucial Disposition, with Implications for Teacher Education, Essays in Education: Vol. 3 , Article 1. https://openriver.winona.edu/eie/vol3/iss1/1