Reflection! Students' Abilities
Lucy Hany
Dear all,
I would like to share with you a reflection that I prepared regarding Student’s Abilities, intelligence, effort and motivation from my readings in my secondary methods online course.
Please find my reflection attached.
Best,
Lucy Hany
Tabitha Dell'Angelo
I am a big fan of Carol Dweck's work and especially thank you for
sharing this reflection. While I agree with your statements, I find
myself wanting to play devil's advocate a bit. Many teachers may read
your views as very idealistic. When you have a student in your classroom
who expressed a "learned helplessness" because of years of thinking that
they have low ability and no control over the outcomes, it is very
difficult to motivate that student. I might suggest that your
committment to motivating students and helping them form a positive
self-concept is completely right. However, remember that you may need to
take many baby steps with students to get them to the place where you
hope they end up. The kind of lack of motivation that expresses as a
entity view (often with learned helplessness) doesn't happen overnight.
It is the result of cumulitave reinforcement of that belief over time.
That means that current and future teachers as well as parents and peers
need to support that change in that view. Think about the kind of
student who would rather cheat and brag about getting an "A", than study
and get a lesser grade. That type of student is so starved for positive
attention, they don't care how they get it. Convincing him or her that
"performance" isn't as important as "mastery" could be a tough sell.
To be sure, I don't have the answers. But, I wanted to encourage you to
hang in their with students even when it seems like you aren't getting
through to them. Every supportive adult makes a positive difference and
contributes to the "baby steps" that we hope will ultimately result in
students' ability to develop a new and improved self-concept.
Best,
Tabitha
Lucy Hany wrote:
> */Dear all,/*
>
> I would like to share with you a reflection that I prepared regarding
> Student’s Abilities, intelligence, effort and motivation from my
> readings in my secondary methods online course.
>
> Please find my reflection attached.
>
> */ /*
>
> */Best,/*
>
> */ /*
>
> */Lucy Hany/*
>
Mary Montgomery
Lucy, thanks for sharing your reflection. I am always so happy to get reviews and information on educational theories, as I feel so deficient in this area. I really appreciated knowing Dweck's argument.
I am wondering if you, Lucy, or any of the rest of you know if Dweck is writing in response to another theory of motivation? Is there another dominant school of thought about motivation - something other than motivating by praising effort? Luke and I did a project over the summer in BKK that touched on the idea of motivation, but only tangentially. I would love to know more.
Thanks!
Mary
Lucy Hany <lh...@cacegypt.org> wrote:
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Lucy Hany
Thank you so much for your feedback and advise. I enjoyed reading your
comments and I really liked the "baby steps" idea very much. Yes, these
students definitely need a lot of support, patience, hard work &
persistence.
Thank you:)
Lucy
Pan Yone
Thank you for your views on supporting students with learned helplessness. It is very tough, as you say, to convince these students that hard work and perseverence is key. One of my students, the son of my boss, is one of these students. His mother is so used to the fact that he is the naughty one of three children, that she seems to have stopped encouraging him to try harder. I am sure she is busy with running a school and raising three children and all, but when he openly tells the class that "My mom says I can't be a doctor. She said I will be nothing" it breaks my heart. It was at that moment, that I realized that all his concentration difficulties, frustrations and lack of motivation were more deep seated and could not be written off as him "just being naughty". I have started to try paying more attention to him, being more patient and trying to find class acitivities that are exciting to him and that motivate him. It is really exhausting, but I am very lucky that most of his classmates are understanding and support him through it. He needs the individual attention that he can't get at home, so tantrums, cheating, and misbehaving is the only way he seems to know how to receive it. It is a challenge, but I hope, over time, I will be able to reach him.
2-257 Kaijin-cho
Leo Palace #203
Funabashi-shi
Chiba 273-0022
Japan
mobile: 09096785158
> Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 11:37:49 -0500
> From: dell...@tcnj.edu
Tabitha Dell'Angelo
My heart is breaking for this kid. Does he show an interest in anything?
I think that you should make a point of telling his mom when he does
good things. She needs to get a gentle nudge to focus on good things
about her son. And, he needs to get some positive encouragement. Is
their any chance of a real intervention with his parents? I know that
the power dynamic is sticky with his parents being who they are, but I
am just wondering.
Tabitha
Pan Yone wrote:
> Dear Tabitha,
>
> Thank you for your views on supporting students with learned
> helplessness. It is very tough, as you say, to convince these students
> that hard work and perseverence is key. One of my students, the son of
> my boss, is one of these students. His mother is so used to the fact
> that he is the naughty one of three children, that she seems to have
> stopped encouraging him to try harder. I am sure she is busy with
> running a school and raising three children and all, but when he
> openly tells the class that "My mom says I can't be a doctor. She said
> I will be nothing" it breaks my heart. It was at that moment, that I
> realized that all his concentration difficulties, frustrations and
> lack of motivation were more deep seated and could not be written off
> as him "just being naughty". I have started to try paying more
> attention to him, being more patient and trying to find class
> acitivities that are exciting to him and that motivate him.&nb sp; It
> is really exhausting, but I am very lucky that most of his classmates
> are understanding and support him through it. He needs the individual
> attention that he can't get at home, so tantrums, cheating, and
> misbehaving is the only way he seems to know how to receive it. It is
> a challenge, but I hope, over time, I will be able to reach him.
>
>
>
> Pan Yone
> 2-257 Kaijin-cho
> Leo Palace #203
> Funabashi-shi
> Chiba 273-0022
> Japan
> mobile: 09096785158
> phonemail: pan...@ezweb.ne.jp <mailto:pan...@ezweb.ne.jp>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pan Yone
I do make a point to telling him when he is exceptionally good. And, most times, he runs out of the class to tell her himself. She thanks me for being so patient with him. I do tell her that I don't think that he is 'slow' as she believes, but has attention problems and can't focus. He enjoys creating things, but mostly, he just loves running around making noise and a mess ha ha. I have managed to get him on side, though, and I hope I can work harder with him. I am using a lot of the methods from my Learning to Read course on him, and they seem to be working. I think I might sit his mom down with some literature and explain his weaknesses, but show her how much stronger he is in areas that the school doesn't attend to. I hope that will work.
Thanks for your reply. He is tough and we all dread it when he comes to the after school sessions kicking and screaming, but most of his teachers are very patient with him. One one hand, we don't have a choice, but on the other, like me, we all love his laugh and smile. They are contagious and his laugh lights up the room.
2-257 Kaijin-cho
Leo Palace #203
Funabashi-shi
Chiba 273-0022
Japan
mobile: 09096785158
> Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:09:02 -0500
Tabitha Dell'Angelo
to have teachers like you as he continues through later grades.
Pan Yone wrote:
> Dear Tabitha,
>
> I do make a point to telling him when he is exceptionally good. And,
> most times, he runs out of the class to tell her himself. She thanks
> me for being so patient with him. I do tell her that I don't think
> that he is 'slow' as she believes, but has attention problems and
> can't focus. He enjoys creating things, but mostly, he just loves
> running around making noise and a mess ha ha. I have managed to get
> him on side, though, and I hope I can work harder with him. I am using
> a lot of the methods from my Learning to Read course on him, and they
> seem to be working. I think I might sit his mom down with some
> literature and explain his weaknesses, but show her how much stronger
> he is in areas that the school doesn't attend to. I hope that will work.
>
> Thanks for your reply. He is tough and we all dread it when he comes
> to the after school sessions kicking and screaming, but most of his
> teachers are very patient with him. One one hand, we don't have a
> choice, but on the other, like me, we all love his laugh and smile.
> They are contagious and his laugh lights up the room.
>
>
>
> Pan Yone
> 2-257 Kaijin-cho
> Leo Palace #203
> Funabashi-shi
> Chiba 273-0022
> Japan
> mobile: 09096785158
> phonemail: pan...@ezweb.ne.jp <mailto:pan...@ezweb.ne.jp>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:09:02 -0500
> > From: dell...@tcnj.edu
> > To: I2...@googlegroups.com
> > Subject: Re: Reflection! Students' Abilities
> >
> > Pan
> > My heart is breaking for this kid. Does he show an interest in anything?
> > I think that you should make a point of telling his mom when he does
> > good things. She needs to get a gentle nudge to focus on good things
> > about her son. And, he needs to get some positive encouragement. Is
> > their any chance of a real intervention with his parents? I know that
> > the power dynamic is sticky with his parents being who they are, but I
> > am just wondering.
> > Tabitha
> >
> > Pan Yone wrote:
> >
> > > Dear Tabitha,
> > >
> > > Thank you for your views on supporting students with learned
> > > helplessness. It is very tough, as you say, to convince these students
> > > that hard work and perseverence is key. On e of my students, the
> > > &g t; Hi Lucy,
> > > > I am a big fan of Carol Dweck's work and especially thank you for
> > > > sharing this reflection. While I agree with your statements, I find
> > > > myself wanting to play devil's advocate a bit. Many teachers may
> read
> > > > your views as very idealistic. When you have a student in your
> > > classroom
> > > > who expressed a "learned helplessness" because of years of thinking
> > > that
> > > > they have low ability and no control over the outcomes, it is very
> > > > difficult to motivate that student. I might suggest that your
> > > > committment to motivating students and helping them form a positive
> > > > self-concept is completely right. However, remember that you may
> > > need to
> > > > take many baby steps with students to get them to the place
> where you
> > > > hope they end up. The kind of lack of motivation t hat expresses
> as a
> > > > entity view (often with learned helplessness) doesn't happen
> overnight.
> > > > It is the result of cumulitave reinforcement of that belief over
> time.
> > > > That means that current and future teachers as well as parents and
> > > peers
> > > > need to support that change in that view. Think about the kind of
> > > > student who would rather cheat and brag about getting an "A", than
> > > study
> > > > and get a lesser grade. That type of student is so starved for
> positive
> > > > attention, they don't care how they get it. Convincing him or
> her that
> > > > "performance" isn't as important as "mastery" could be a tough sell.
> > > > To be sure, I don't have the answers. But, I wanted to encourage
> you to
> > > > hang in their with students even when it seems like you aren't
> getting
> > > > through to them. Every supportive ad ult makes a positive
> difference and
> > > > contributes to the "baby steps" that we hope will ultimately
> result in
> > > > students' ability to develop a new and improved self-concept.
> > > > Best,
> > > > Tabitha
> > > >
> > > > Lucy Hany wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > */Dear all,/*
> > > > >
> > > > > I would like to share with you a reflection that I prepared
> regarding
> > > > > Student’s Abilities, intelligence, effort and motivation from my
> > > > > readings in my secondary methods online course.
> > > > >
> > > > > Please find my reflection attached.
> > > > >
> > > > > */ /*
> > > > >
> > > > > */Best,/*
> > > > >
> > > > > */ /*
> > > > >
> > > > > */Lucy Hany/*
> > > > >
> > > >*> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> *