With the increasing competitiveness between students, schools, and even countries in the category of education it comes as no surprise that students have lost their passion for learning now that its all about who has the best test results. Education expert Alfie Kohn states that “In the U.S., we subject children as young as six to standardized exams, despite the fact that almost all experts in early childhood education condemn this practice” (2000). With the pressure to be “the best,” educators and students alike lose sight of what is important. When I was in elementary, middle and high school I had a hard time finding it in myself to enjoy learning. For as long as I can remember school was always something I had to do, never something I wanted to do. For this I blame my teachers. They never instilled in me the thirst for knowledge and learning. They didn’t make it exciting or worth while but rather boring and mundane.
It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school when my A.P. English teacher, Mrs. Willett, showed me the impact that love and exuberance for learning could have. She was so overwhelmingly passionate about her classes and students it was hard not to feel the same. She made learning something I looked forward too and was willing to work for. She is a dying breed amongst teachers which is so unfortunate. It is teachers like her that keep education alive. From experience, I have found that to ignite a love for learning you have to make students want to learn. Don’t force but rather let it come naturally.
In helping ignite my four younger siblings love for learning I have found using games get them excited and willing to learn. Then from there we can apply what we have learned and worked on in the games and finish homework with ease and efficiency. Q. Li found that when elementary students ages 7 to 11 use digital game building and playing to learn, their understanding of the subject matter in question increased as well as their general problem solving abilities. Another technique I have used with one of my brothers who doesn’t care for reading at all, much like myself at his age, is reading a book to him that I know he will get very involved and wrapped up in. Just as it is getting good I will say that we have read enough for the day and he will lose it saying that he has to know what happens next. Then I will suggest he reads it himself and without fail he picks up the book and wont put it down. My mom did this with me using the Harry Potter books and I went from groaning and moaning about reading one chapter to finishing multiple books a week.
Now as a future educator I vow to do my best to not be another robot teacher but rather follow in the foot steps of Mrs. Willett and instill a love for learning in my students like she did in me. I know there are other teachers out there just like her with other creative ideas to keep kids interested in their education. Please feel free to send any ideas, comments, concerns, success stories etc. as they could be the basis for my future research and further exploration into the world that is education.
References
Kohn, A. (2000). The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school when my A.P. English teacher, Mrs. Willett, showed me the impact that love and exuberance for learning could have. She was so overwhelmingly passionate about her classes and students it was hard not to feel the same. She made learning something I looked forward too and was willing to work for. She is a dying breed amongst teachers which is so unfortunate. It is teachers like her that keep education alive. From experience, I have found that to ignite a love for learning you have to make students want to learn. Don’t force but rather let it come naturally.
In helping ignite my four younger siblings love for learning I have found using games get them excited and willing to learn. Then from there we can apply what we have learned and worked on in the games and finish homework with ease and efficiency. Q. Li found that when elementary students ages 7 to 11 use digital game building and playing to learn, their understanding of the subject matter in question increased as well as their general problem solving abilities. Another technique I have used with one of my brothers who doesn’t care for reading at all, much like myself at his age, is reading a book to him that I know he will get very involved and wrapped up in. Just as it is getting good I will say that we have read enough for the day and he will lose it saying that he has to know what happens next. Then I will suggest he reads it himself and without fail he picks up the book and wont put it down. My mom did this with me using the Harry Potter books and I went from groaning and moaning about reading one chapter to finishing multiple books a week.
Now as a future educator I vow to do my best to not be another robot teacher but rather follow in the foot steps of Mrs. Willett and instill a love for learning in my students like she did in me. I know there are other teachers out there just like her with other creative ideas to keep kids interested in their education. Please feel free to send any ideas, comments, concerns, success stories etc. as they could be the basis for my future research and further exploration into the world that is education.
References
Kohn, A. (2000). The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.