The MCM chapter talked about methods that could be used for teaching reading to children and adults. I think that it is best to try a variety of methods, hoping that at least something would work.
The brown Brown book was about motivation and I have a feeling that we have read this chapter last semester. Either that or I read the wrong chapter at one time or another. Anyway, I know that sounds blasphemous in a way, but I want to say, that I don't believe the Maslow pyramid to be absolutely correct. History knows many examples of hungry, cold, sick people caring about freedom, dignity and intellectual needs more than about food, clothes, and medicines. My greatgrandfather went to school when Russia was still an Empire and getting education meant all kinds of troubles for someone Jewish. He practically starved for a number of years, when he was tutoring kids, and trying to pass high school exams. His university years funnily coincided with the civil war. My grandparents and parents used to buy books and pay tutors instead of investing in better clothes or newer appliances. That's why I speak English fluently - my parents preferred to pay for my education all through the hardest post-perestroika years, when my mom would take translations to make ends meet and dad had up 10 5 jobs. My point is - lack of met basic needs does not necessarily mean that the person will not care about something else. French and Russian revolutions speak to that :)
Since I come from this knowledge prioritizing environment, which has been a part of our tradition for several thousand years, I have a problem with people, who are not motivated. I am not talking about little kids here - they are a different story and it's their parents responsibility to create and maintain their motivation. I think that it's my job as a teacher to teach a subject, and teach it in a way as interesting, engaging and challenging as possible. It is also my job to explain how different parts of the course work together, and how something can be useful in the long run. However, if the students are not interested/don't care there is not much I can do. If an adult (and I do consider 18-year olds adults, I know it's not a popular point of view), so if an adult has no motivation to succeed in a class and is bored by the thought of it - what exactly are they doing in it? If the student's motivation evaporates at the thought of a reading to be completed or an essay written - why are they getting a college education again?
Basically, I choose to work with adults in a hope that they know what and why they are doing in my class. I can take it from here, not before.
P.S. I am an idiot, who is unable to read the assigned chapter. Talk about reading skills. Ironic, isn't it? Need to catch up.
2 comments:
I also choose adults as my studnets for I think they know why they are learning English and they have Intrinsic and extrensic motivation for learning. Moreover it is essay to manage the class with adults.
Adults have more motivation since they pay their time and money on school, and they are more self-managgement. But I do like kids. I know it's just different tastes.
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