Monday, February 6, 2012

Inspire

Today, as I was sitting in a classroom full of high schoolers listening to the teacher, I couldn't help but let my mind wander... "If I were that teacher, what would I do differently?" and "how do I inspire the kids to strive for excellence?" A lot of the kids in the class I viewed have IEPs (Individualized Education Program) and the teacher mentioned to me that it's extremely difficult to motivate them.  That they just don't seem to care.  "Hmmmm...", I thought, "why is that?" What is their home life like?  Did some teacher disappoint them along the way?  Were they "forgotten" or "left behind" in some way?




These questions have boggled my mind since I was in those students' shoes.  What motivates youth, especially the youth of today?


Does anyone out there have any suggestions or ideas?  I have some of my own, but am curious of other people's thoughts and opinions.
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3 comments:

  1. CyndiFebruary 6, 2012 at 5:10 PM

    Sometimes it's not what, it's who. Many of them don't see the relevance to their lives, but see HS as just another hoop to get through before they can really start living (sadly, many of them are right). Education, as a whole, needs a makeover. We need to ask ourselves, "how do I learn?" and then "so why don't I teach that way?"

    I'm proud of you and know you're going to make a huge difference!

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  2. UnknownFebruary 6, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    Seems to me that people don't expect much out of them, writing off misbehavior or low grades by shrug and a sigh, saying you can't expect much out of today's kids. That is the opposite of inspiring today's kids!

    Grown ups try so hard to be kids buddies and friends, but they have their peers for that. They need real life role models that they can respect, look up too and desire to be more like.

    Information is so easily gotten at the touch of a button, it's not valued as much anymore. We need to teach the kids how to learn and to love learning for its own sake.

    That's my two cents!

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  3. UnknownFebruary 6, 2012 at 5:59 PM

    Its hard for me to think about this right away from a high school perspective. One thing that I know about elementary students is that it varies so much case by case. Some students want the cheerleader type, while other students want to know what you have to say in a down to business sort of manner. Each child is their own puzzle to figure out and learn to understand before you can get there. That is the great thing about elementary is that I have more time with each kid. Good Luck!

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