I have talked about my behavior management system in my class earlier. This one is about where that doesn't work.
The one area in which I am still struggling is behavior management. I have realised that their behavior is directly connected to how the students are invested in their studies. There was one student who was already invested when I started teaching them. I didn't have to do anything. But all the rest of them were not really bothered about why they were in school. For quite a few of my students it was a matter of just one session in which I asked them what they wanted to become in their life.
I don't think anyone else has ever asked that question to them or they have thought about it on their own (of course they are only 8-13 year olds). So one day they thought about it when I prompted them and also drew pictures of what they want to become. Half of them drew a big rocket, whose design pretty much looked the same and wanted to become a rocket man, which was later corrected to astronaut. There were other options also; doctor, teacher, engineer, army, navy. Of course my kids are not really exposed to a variety of professions, which is something I need to do sometime. Recently one more is added to this, an MBA, though I am pretty sure she doesn't understand what that means (again something which I need to do, indeed).
I have also told them they are smart enough (oh, they are) to become all these things. It is just a matter of working hard. "Work hard, get smart" is kind of a motto in our class. If I ask them now why they need to study, some of them even tell me that they need to become "something" in their lives. It is not that they all think about it all the time and bury their noses in their books. I need to remind them once in a while and thats enough for them to keep their focus.
Two of the brightest in my class (Kiran reads at 105 words per minute, Umesh can remember a whole page of masculine and feminine genders after reading it once for around 5 mins) are not invested at all. Kiran wants to become an engineer and Umesh wants to join the navy. But this is not really seen in their actions like I can see in my other kids. They are more interested in playing around. Once I asked Umesh after I have reprimanded him for disturbing the class he told me he wanted to become a 'mawwali'. I have no idea what that means and I don't want to know, but it doesn't sound good. He also told me that his mama is in police and so the police will not catch him. Kiran is hyperactive and will keep disturbing other kids by throwing pieces of eraser at them or just running around in class, poking the others. Of course it is not their mistake that they are not invested, it is just that I have not found the right strategy to invest them.
Any ideas?
I think telling them everyday about few great men who excelled in their field for 10-15 mins may inspire them. Also i feel that at some point of time you have to use force on them to study as well which requires help from the family,because some students may not realize how important it is to study and get a good position in society.
ReplyDeleteHow about keeping them busy in a Craft from waste material?
ReplyDelete1. You can expose them to the ideas of building things from waste material.
2. If they buy the idea then you can ask them to make a list of everything in "English" that is waste material in their house.
3. Then you can ask them to create something out of that waste material. Just see to it that you are not asking them to use sellable waste for these craft items. ( i mean parents may save newspaper for selling it to raddiwala).
This will develop their "English" and their creative intelligence.
Another way would be to ask them to watch a particular show on Hindi Discovery channel and ask them to speak/write an article in english.
Pai, I think I will try out the great men idea. But I need to find men whom they will be able to relate to. If I talk about freedom fighters, I don't think they will appreciate it or even understand it now. Suggest a few!
ReplyDeleteVinay, Like we have talked yesterday, I really do not know how making things from waste material will help them with the behavior or English, but thats indeed worth a try to get them the idea that there is nothing called waste.
ReplyDeleteYour idea about making them watch a TV show and making them write about it is worth trying indeed.
Well, Subhadra, I can't be of much help, because my 7 year old daughter wants to become a 'puppy' when she grows up - she thinks they are so darn cute! Before that, she wanted to become a 'rice cake' - nice and round, but then we told her she will get eaten up. And my son wanted to become a 'garbage truck driver' when he was younger, because he was fascinated by those mechanized trucks.
ReplyDeleteOne way may be to take them on field trips - museum, planetorium, radio station, fire station, etc. They can see things for real.
ReplyDeleteSwagata, I wish my kids were imaginative like Simone :) They all want to become something, or atleast tell me that they want to. My problem is in converting that want into their actions in class...
ReplyDelete