Don't Give Up on Disengaged Students: Tools & Strategies for Success
Dealing with reluctant learners is complex, and teachers must adapt their teaching methods to engage these students effectively. In 2006, Walsh shared his thoughts on middle school students who don't seem to care about school or learning. He didn't conduct formal research but spoke from his experiences as an education professor at Gonzaga University. He worked with teachers and their students and provided practical examples from his classroom management course.
Walsh Suggested Some Helpful Ideas For Working With Reluctant Learners:
Get to Know Your Students: Spend time getting to know your students so they can see you as someone who cares and knows what they need.
Talk to Your Students: Even if they act distant or unfriendly, take the time to talk to them. Only take it personally if they're very responsive; try to build trust and show them you care.
Stay Positive: Don't get upset if students are being challenged or not participating. Instead, be patient, build trust, and show them respect and kindness.
Are Your Students Disengaged?
Despite personal struggles and initial frustration, how can teachers effectively support students who are disengaged? Many teachers, typically high-achieving students themselves, struggle to comprehend why some students struggle. They often take students' resistance personally, which can be challenging. Teachers must look past this resistance and not view it as a personal attack on their teaching or themselves. New and experienced teachers may initially react with frustration and anger to such students.
Teachers can use different strategies to help students who struggle in school rather than punishing them. It includes getting to know the students, conversing with them, and not taking their challenging behavior personally. This way, teachers can help students who are not keen learners. Disengaged students have unique challenges, and strict rules can't help them. Some of the helping factors are:
Understand the "Why": Before diving into solutions, try to identify the reasons behind the disengagement. Is it learning style, difficulty with the material, personal issues, or lack of interest? Tailoring support becomes more effective when you know the root cause.
The mind of a middle schooler by Paciotti, B., & 24, teresa on J. and Brain Waves
Build Relationships: Connect with students on a personal level. Show genuine interest in their lives, hobbies, and strengths.
Embrace Different Learning Styles: Offer diverse activities and materials like visual aids, group projects, debates, or technology integration to cater to various learning styles and keep things interesting.
Make it Relevant: Connect lessons to real-life applications and their interests. Show them how what they're learning can be used outside the classroom, sparking curiosity and relevance.
Offer Choice and Ownership: Give students some control over their learning experience. Let them choose topics, projects, or presentation formats.
Break it Down: Divide complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Provide clear instructions and offer support throughout the process to avoid overwhelm and build confidence.
Celebrate Progress: Recognize and acknowledge even small improvements and achievements.
Incorporate Movement: Short bursts of physical activity can increase focus and engagement.
Collaborate with Parents and Guardians: Communicate openly and regularly with parents or guardians. Share strategies and involve them in their child's learning journey.
Seek Professional Help: If you're struggling to reach a student, don't hesitate to seek support from counselors, learning specialists, or other professionals.
What Tools And Strategies Can New Teachers Use To Create Effective Learning Environments?
Experienced teachers can observe, listen, and understand their students. They use this information to decide where students should sit, who can work well together, who might struggle with homework, and how to motivate them to participate in learning. These skills usually develop over time with experience.
New teachers who are just starting can use various tools to learn about their students. They can use forms, surveys, and questionnaires to gather information. They can also ask other teachers for advice. They can seek parents to understand their student's discrepancies. Listening to students can also be very helpful. Teachers can even ask students how they should be assessed or what problems they face.
How Can Veteran-Educators Interact With Students?
Some veteran teachers struggle to adapt and need support to acquire the necessary skills for their students to succeed. While veteran teachers bring a wealth of experience to the classroom, reaching disengaged middle schoolers often requires a shift in approach. This might involve stepping outside their comfort zone by seeking professional development in areas like social-emotional learning and diverse learning styles. Observing other teachers or collaborating with colleagues can also spark fresh ideas. Rigid, traditional methods might alienate some students. Veteran teachers can introduce interactive activities, group projects, technology integration, or even gamified learning to cater to different learning styles and make lessons more engaging.
It's also crucial to recognize that disengagement can sometimes be a symptom of deeper challenges. Partnering with counselors, specialists, and parents can help veteran teachers understand and address any underlying issues hindering student engagement, such as personal struggles, learning disabilities, or bullying. By embracing these practices, veteran teachers can move beyond traditional methods and become more effective in reaching and supporting disengaged middle schoolers, fostering a positive and engaging learning environment for all.
Try Not To Get Into Arguments With Students
The most important thing is not to let things get worse by getting into arguments or tension with the student. The timing of your communication is also critical. Many of these students have much more experience getting a reaction from new teachers. Some students are good at getting teachers to back off and keep their distance. But when you keep your distance, there are reduced chances of interaction with these students. Punishing or other tactics seem like fixing the problem, but they usually don't help.
Emmer, Evertson, and Worsham (2003) suggested three ways to talk to students who are often unengaged:
Positive Approach: This means talking to students without attacking them or making them feel bad.
Good Listener: It's about listening to students' voices and making them feel heard and understood.
Problem Solving: This is about finding solutions to problems together.
These are just a few ways can help you keep talking to unengaged students and stop them from feeling pushed away.
Clarity And Patience Are the Key to Building Successful Relationships
Patience is essential in dealing with students and classroom situations. Patience and regular practices might be helpful in situations and can change the overall thinking of school avoiders. If you are interested in the top middle school concerns, check out, "The Biggest Problem with Middle School and How You Can Fix It.” The more teachers practice and work on it, the better they get at helping their students succeed in their lives and managing their classrooms.
References
Emmer, E. T., Evertson, C. M., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for secondary teachers (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Paciotti, B., & 24, teresa on J. (2018, July 6). Middle School Students & School Library Lessons. Looking backward – no sweat library lessons & management that works. https://lookingbackward.edublogs.org/2018/07/06/middle-school/
Secondary Education, 35(1), 5–15.
Walsh, F. (2006). A middle school dilemma: Dealing with "I don't care." American