I remember, when I was younger, that there were times that I did not give my best effort. Even into my early college years, my grades did not reflect my academic abilities. In junior high and high school it was seemingly more important to have friends and to fit in, somewhere. I did this without much thought of my grades, let alone my college career and beyond. Don't misunderstand, I wasn't a slacker or lazy, I just wanted to feel like I was a part of a group. The fact is, I didn't always give my all and hindsight being 20/20, things might have been different in terms of how quickly I got to where I am now. As a school counselor, I encounter these issues of students placing their social status above their grades and their behavior. I attribute some of this to the fact that they are teens or pre-teens but when does this 'normal' behavior turn into straight up apathy? An even more disturbing trend is when you see these behaviors developing in the primary grades. How do we combat apathy? As with any problem, it is best to attack the roots of the problem instead of always taking the band-aid approach and being reactionary.
I believe the key to curing apathy and even shaking some of the students out of their 'normal' doldrums is to show them how learning 'X' applies to them and their ambitions to accomplish 'Y.' Easier said than done, without question. There are many ways to begin to do this but the very first part comes from doing some good old fashioned self-evaluating. Take a step back and look at how you, as an educator; manage your classrooms or behavior, teach to different ability levels, engage every student, utilize technology, understand multiple intelligences, model behavior, and contribute to the school environment. In part 2 of this 3 part blog, we will look at how the areas listed above directly affect students behaviors and attitudes towards school.
Hasta Luego!
I believe the key to curing apathy and even shaking some of the students out of their 'normal' doldrums is to show them how learning 'X' applies to them and their ambitions to accomplish 'Y.' Easier said than done, without question. There are many ways to begin to do this but the very first part comes from doing some good old fashioned self-evaluating. Take a step back and look at how you, as an educator; manage your classrooms or behavior, teach to different ability levels, engage every student, utilize technology, understand multiple intelligences, model behavior, and contribute to the school environment. In part 2 of this 3 part blog, we will look at how the areas listed above directly affect students behaviors and attitudes towards school.
Hasta Luego!