Are Your Students Finishers or Learners?

 

Last week, I posted an article titled “Are We Over-Rewarding Our Students?” in which I shared my thoughts on offering incentives to students for things they should already be doing.

As I mentioned in that article, we tend to offer rewards because many students don’t see the importance of what we teach them. We offer incentives in the form of bribes, grades, and parties to motivate them to want to learn.

I taught what many students consider the most boring subject: Social Studies.

The majority of my students came to my class already hating it. They thought it was boring and didn’t see the point of learning it. Most days, it was an uphill battle to get students genuinely interested in my class.

I soon realized that many of my students were simply “finishers”, not “learners.”

My students weren’t coming to my class to learn new things; they were just finishing whatever I told them to do. Instead of going home curious about what we discussed in class, many of them rushed through their work only to forget what they learned right away. They didn’t see how my lessons were relevant to their lives.

Most of my students were finishing their work for a good grade or praise from me or their parents. I knew that if I wanted to create a classroom of learners, I had to make some changes.

Creating a Classroom of Learners

My strategies were perfect for a classroom of complaisant students, but if I wanted to challenge and inspire them to connect with history, I had to do more.

The first change I made was to help students understand the purpose of their work. We often ask students to do things but almost never explain why. As a result, they complete their worksheets, watch videos, and read books without understanding the broader learning goals they’re supposed to accomplish.

Aside from teaching them the meaning of the work, I also encouraged my students to voice their opinions. I asked them questions about the topics we studied and what aspects they connected with. Although I had to abide by certain standards, I offered them choices to encourage active participation.

Giving Students Autonomy

The second change I made was to give my students autonomy over their own learning by finding ways to connect the curriculum to their interests. This means not all students’ assignments will look the same, but it allows them to choose the most interesting way to learn.

If we truly want students to understand something, we have to encourage them to find personal meaning in it. We have to let them bring their own knowledge and interests to the table so they can better connect with the material.

For example, imagine your class is studying the 1950s. If some of your students like cars, you can let them focus on how cars evolved in the ‘50s. Other students who like fashion can focus on ‘50s fashion and how it compares to modern trends. The possibilities are endless!

Changing the System

The last change I made was in the way my students work. I needed to give them more autonomy in showing me they understood the lessons they learned. To do this, I gave them choices in what I call the three T’s: time, team, and task.

Choice Over Time

Students should be allowed to work within more flexible time parameters. Maybe the student researching ‘50s cars needs one week to complete the assignment while the student researching ‘50s fashion only needs three days. I realized that if I was going to develop a classroom of learners, my students needed the flexibility to manage their time.

Choice Over Team

Some students like to work alone while others like to work in pairs or groups. Let them choose whether to work on their own or in a team. Of course, there will be times when they have to work independently or in groups, but offering some flexibility will maximize their learning and increase their engagement.

Choice Over Task

Let students choose the type of tasks they will complete to demonstrate their mastery. Students who are great writers may choose to write an essay, a play, or a poem. Visual learners may make a collage or a painting. Auditory learners may choose to make a video, compose a song, or write a speech. Every student has different skills, so give them the chance to play to those strengths.

Implementing these changes in your teaching style will require commitment. Each student’s process will be different and grading will be messy at times, but it will be worth it to see genuine learning and growth that students actually want.

I encourage you to think about your teaching style. Do you like being told what, when, or how to teach? Our students don’t like being told how to learn either. If we take away our students’ self-efficacy, we’re taking away their motivation to learn. So give your students purpose, autonomy, and choices.

Let’s make our classrooms about learning, not just finishing.