Week #8 Blog - Learning Defintions

Rhonda Adams's picture

Each week we are asked to share what our definition of learning is.  Most weeks mine has been tweeked a little bit.  But this week, I don't think it has changed much.  My defintion of learning is: Anything that betters a person's life, and my opinions on who affects learning is: the teachers, parents, but mainly the students. 

But as I type I had a thought.  What if the reason my definition hasn't changed is because I haven't been thinking that much about the class or the definition?  I have been so busy this last week, drove to Reno for my BF's 40th, spent time with my ailing grandparents, and met my Mom's new boyfriend.  Then I came home, tried to catch up on school and am leaving for LV tomorrow (July 2nd) to help my daughter and son-in-law welcome my first grandchild to the world.  I guess you could say that my school is the farthest thing from my mind. 

But is it the job of the instructor to keep my learning going?  I don't think so.  How can the instructor possibly know how crazy my life is and adjust to motivate me when I need it?  Isn't that what we as teachers are expected to do?  Motivate our students?  But what if the student's last wish is to be in school at that point in time?  I don't know about you, but if I have some teacher making me do things when my mind is somewhere else, then I am not going to be open to the activity, no matter how great or engaging it is.

I guess the question I'm asking is, how do we as teachers handle the unmotivated student when their lack of motivation is the craziness of their lives, when if we were in their position we would be doing the same thing?  I have always lived my life with the motto of "don't ask others to do what you are not willing to do yourself", so I guess I'm having a hard time with this one. 

Maybe just sharing this blog post with them will help to motivate them. Ya think?

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Submitted by Rhonda Adams on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 8:57am
Toni K. Behling's picture

I understand

Submitted by Toni K. Behling (not verified) on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 3:21pm.
I know what you mean about crazy. I have had a house full for my surprise 50th birthday party. My daughter went all out. It was wonderful. I agree with you that the students must desire to some degree to learn the material, be in school, or be alive. I take full responsibility for my own learning, and feel that students should do the same. As a teacher I think you need to make your material interesting and help the students the best you can, but the student has to be willing. I had a three students this year who were not motivated to learn. One the parents blamed the teachers, one the student knew he had to go to an alternate school next year so why try, and the last was determined to show the courts that they had wronged him by removing him from his abusive father's house. I think we can reach a lot of students especially with parental support. The idea of NCLB is utopia at best.
Camille Clegg-Patch's picture

What great thoughts!

Submitted by Camille Clegg-Patch on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 9:51pm.
I  bet if you put us all in a big room together and we all discussed the crazy things that are going on on in our lives we would all be thankful for our own crazy lives. I think this is something that we as educators really need to be aware of. Our class no matter how important we think it may be or should be to our students it may be the last thing they think about during the course of their day. We as educators only have control over what happens in our classroom. Our students go home to God only knows what, and I am sure we wouldn't want to go through any of the things they could possibly going through.
Thanks for you comments Rhonda, they really made me think this week.
Camille Clegg-Patch
Camille Clegg-Patch's picture

What great thoughts!

Submitted by Camille Clegg-Patch on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 9:51pm.
I  bet if you put us all in a big room together and we all discussed the crazy things that are going on on in our lives we would all be thankful for our own crazy lives. I think this is something that we as educators really need to be aware of. Our class no matter how important we think it may be or should be to our students it may be the last thing they think about during the course of their day. We as educators only have control over what happens in our classroom. Our students go home to God only knows what, and I am sure we wouldn't want to go through any of the things they could possibly going through. Thanks for you comments Rhonda, they really made me think this week. Congratulations on your new grandchild, that is awesome! Camille Clegg-Patch

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Any opinions expressed here, except as specifically noted, are those of the individual authors or commenters and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, or Utah State University.