It's amazing how your attitude can affect your performance. Our brains are amazing machines that are ultimately driven by a non-tangible element (our attitudes). I have watched students completely warp into new kids when they realize, "I can do this!" I don't have secret recipes except for that I try my best, first and foremost to help students realize ANYTHING, yes ANYTHING is possible.
I learned this concept from my parents. When I was little they encouraged and supported us in everything we wanted to try. You want to run for student body president? Lets get working on your campaign. You want to take up skateboarding? Lets go build a half pipe in the backyard. You want to be a psychiatrist? Lets go check out medical schools. They never discouraged our dreams and helped us set realistic goals for ourselves. They supported an environment where we were able to grow and develop. In the summers my mom did a reading program. We each had a paper ice cream cone and for every half hour we read we would get a scoop of ice cream. There were prizes ranging from picking out a movie to the big shabang (which all 4 kids wanted and I think we all achieved) a LIMO RIDE AT THE END OF THE SUMMER! We worked hard to earn our scoops and it made the process of reading less painful.
This week this concept was reiterated to me as I worked with a student that had a lack of motivation and it truly was affecting her overall performance regarding math. It's difficult to identify lack of motivation vs. learning challenges. Sometimes it may be both. Her mom came up with a WONDERFUL motivator and the next session she was excited to practice times tables! I learned that I can't be the only motivator in the home. Parents must create an environment that displays how important learning is to them. Sometimes parents have a hard time rewarding students for academic accomplishments. This truly is up to your family and what you feel comfortable with, but I have never seen rewards fail when they are implemented properly.
Take home lesson: Be actively involved in your students academic life. Know what they are struggling with and work hard to identify the problem. Are they tired? Low on motivation? Or does a new approach need to be taken? Implement rewards for tough subjects and make this specific for each child. Your children want to be successful and want to please you. Lets give them the tools to do it! If that means a limo ride at the end of the summer - so be it.
