Communication and Motivation
The silent student is the one that I am often concerned about. His/her lack to communciation leads me to think that they aren't motivated. In addition, he/she often play's the blame game because he/she is not engaged in the course. I Have found that this is the most difficult type of student to motivate.
Denise, great job relating your own personal experiences with your students. Such sharing when done correctly can break down barriers and help to build repor with your students.
Regards,
James Jackson
The way that I deal with those quiet students is to confront that issue on the first day. After all of the procedural and administrative paperwork and discussion on the first day, I begin a porcess of open those students up with honest communication and ice breakers. Everyone loves to laugh and be amused and I believe that students are no different, even the quiet ones. Once they see I was once where they are, I like jokes and have fears and insecurities by participating in those ice breakers with them they tend to open up which is how I begin to establish a partnership for a successful and open learning environment with the student.
Patina,
I usually have many of those "silent" students every term and it was very hard for me to handle in the beginning. I was a very motivated student and to all of a sudden be around students that were not as motivated really bothered me. I kept feeling like it was me or my fault they were not engaged or silent. Over time I realized it was not me at all. What I did find that helped me was to request the student/s to meet with me privately. Usually one on one they would reveal an personal issue or something they would not of shared with their classmates. I found this 3 to 5 minute talk would make them more comfortable with me and over time they would be more responsive to me in class.
She acknowledges she doesn't really participate and claims it's "just how she is". She is very engaged in conversations with the other students and intructors outside of class. It may just be an issue with public speaking and not wanting to be the center of attention in class. I'm not sure how to help her engage. We have played games with candy prizes in class that force each student to participate but she definitely struggles.
Tracey, how does the student respond to discussions concerning the importance of engagement in the classroom as important preparation for working in a real-world setting? Some students take on a totally new perspective when the connection is made between classroom participation and gainful employment.
Regards,
James Jackson
I agree. I currently have a student who very rarely becomes engaged in the classroom discussions. I'm not sure if it's related to motivation or insecurity. I have had a few one on one conversations with her and that seems to inspire her but remains almost withdrawn fromt her peers in the classroom. Her grades are average but has a surge in creativity after our one on one conversations.
Patina, you bring forward an important topic. Regardless of level of participation the final analysis is about the student learning the material you are providing. I have had very successful "silent" students and have seen the more outgoing fail a course. It is important for the effective instructor to build a relationship with your students and get to understand their learning styles. Understanding personality inventories and the different learning styles can be a great tool in an instructor's toolkit. The more you know about the different learning styles the better you can determine the difference between your own delivery techniques versus an student that simply lacks motivation.
Regards,
James Jackson
Thanks for your feedback Michael. Quality of communication is definitely a key element in building relationships and the ability to ultimately motivate. Effective communication is not a one way broadcast from the instructor. For communication to be truly effective, the message must be received and understood and allow both sides to engage in meaningful dialog and even discourse.
Regards,
James Jackson
The quality of communication is the reason why a relationship is successful or unsuccessful. It is imperative to communicate both verbally and non-verbally to understand and be understood by your students.
I have had a few students who played the "blame game" too. The habit of blaming everyone else seems to be a difficult habit to break. However, a few times it has been very rewarding to help the student who seems to find problems with every instructor, staff member and fellow student finally realize that the problems they keep re-experiencing are within themself. When they realize they are responsible for their own learning, or lack thereof, it can be quite an eye opener for them. And very exciting to watch motivation kick in when they see what power they really have.
Patina, you bring up an interesting topic with respect to communication and motivation. You have stated that you are concerned about the "silent student" and your concern they may lack motivation and not engaged. Can you share a time when you had one of these students and how you determined if they were not motivated or if there were other issues that were the root cause of their lack of participation?
Thanks for anything you can share.
Regards,
James Jackson
