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I am having a hard time envisioning kids who don't do their work becoming magically motivated to do it on Saturday. I have to believe the teacher who said they do it at her (his??) school and that it works. It just doesn't make much sense to me. However, if it works, then stick with it.
There is a satisfaction to getting something done. I would hope kids would feel that even if they had to go in on Saturday and do the work. That coupled with losing Saturday if they don't do the work on time might work. Saturday becomes a second chance for the kids.
Most of my kids who are behind SAY they want to get caught up. I think they don't know how.
Try it with your students. Tell them if they don't get their work done by Friday then they will be with you in the class on Saturday to finish it up.
I can't enforce that unless it's a school policy. All I can do is offer to be there on Saturday but I'm pretty sure they're not coming. They don't come after school and I offer that. In order for Saturday school to work, it would have to be mandatory.
There is a satisfaction to getting something done. I would hope kids would feel that even if they had to go in on Saturday and do the work. That coupled with losing Saturday if they don't do the work on time might work. Saturday becomes a second chance for the kids.
Most of my kids who are behind SAY they want to get caught up. I think they don't know how.
I had kids like that when I taught. What I did with them is have them come during lunch, or immediately after school and set up a plan to complete work. If they really were motivated they followed the plan. I would set the plan up so that the individual steps were not overwhelming to the student. I agree that if the child is just overwhelmed with how much they have to do to catch up then they can be helped.
Some of them do need to be shown how to catch up. That is quite different than having unmotivated students. A student can get behind even if they are motivated. Once they are behind, you are right, it can be overwhelming for them to catch up.
I had kids like that when I taught. What I did with them is have them come during lunch, or immediately after school and set up a plan to complete work. If they really were motivated they followed the plan. I would set the plan up so that the individual steps were not overwhelming to the student. I agree that if the child is just overwhelmed with how much they have to do to catch up then they can be helped.
Some of them do need to be shown how to catch up. That is quite different than having unmotivated students. A student can get behind even if they are motivated. Once they are behind, you are right, it can be overwhelming for them to catch up.
Unfortunately, I can't make them come. I'm not allowed to have them come during lunch and they don't show after school. I'm here, they aren't. This would have to be mandatory to work. I find that once a student is so far behind, they give up. Unless someone forces them to catch up, they, usually, won't.
Unfortunately, I can't make them come. I'm not allowed to have them come during lunch and they don't show after school. I'm here, they aren't. This would have to be mandatory to work. I find that once a student is so far behind, they give up. Unless someone forces them to catch up, they, usually, won't.
Then they won't. All you can do it offer to help. You cannot make them take it.
I'm enthusiastic about the subject I teach, which is physics. I'm convinced that it's important knowledge for all of us to have some familiarity with. I make an effort to make my class interesting.
But no matter what, there will always be some kids who just won't care.
I've learned long ago that I can't please (or motivate) everyone. So, I concentrate more on the ones who make an effort. The ones who have decided to fail simply cannot be helped. They won't accept any form of assistance.
Then they won't. All you can do it offer to help. You cannot make them take it.
I'd like to be able to make them take it. I think it would help many of my students. I think some of them just don't know how to manage their time, get behind and then feel overwhelmed and don't know how to get caught up. If they MADE them go to Saturday school, I think it would help.
I'm enthusiastic about the subject I teach, which is physics. I'm convinced that it's important knowledge for all of us to have some familiarity with. I make an effort to make my class interesting.
But no matter what, there will always be some kids who just won't care.
I've learned long ago that I can't please (or motivate) everyone. So, I concentrate more on the ones who make an effort. The ones who have decided to fail simply cannot be helped. They won't accept any form of assistance.
I try as well, and it is HARD when they have to read what some "dead white guys had written" long ago.... but there are some things "educated people" just need to know and that includes part of their history....and dang it, I want them to be "functionally literate"! They need to be able to understand what they read and to understand WHY authors wrote like they did....persuasion is a heafty tool that they need to understand before they vote; before they join any organization or before they decide to blindly follow some nut case due to his pathos in his speeches and not his logos.
And what I bolded, I agree with 100%, but forget it at times due to our adminstration who has the mantra: All students can/will learn (can't remember what they changed it to from what!) AND tomorrow, I am going to have to walk back into my classes and tell them just what you reminded me of: that I am going to concentrate on those who WANT to learn, and I don't care what the Proficiency model wants me to do to get ALL children to pass. I am tired of caring more than they do.
As I had written in another thread, two nights ago, I wrote every parent an email in my last period class and 3/4 in my second period class stating their child did NOT do the homework over the weekend, so I could not build on that and take them to the next step...and YES, you read that correctly in that NOT ONE HONORS student did the assignment in my last period class! So, I could not do my job that day and tax money was wasted. And ya know what??? Only 3 parents responded. So... that is that.
I am just at a loss here as every year more and more students seem to be unmotivated and it is especially boys. There are studies out about this, but whether or not they are correct as to why, I am not too sure; but what I AM SURE about is this: WHY are more girls on the honor roll and taking AP classes, yet all the top scorers on the SAT are boys??? Well the answer is they are not motivated to do their work... plain and simple....but which is only complicating our educational system even more.
I can't enforce that unless it's a school policy. All I can do is offer to be there on Saturday but I'm pretty sure they're not coming. They don't come after school and I offer that. In order for Saturday school to work, it would have to be mandatory.
You said in a previous post they want to get caught up yet they don't come to the after school you offer. Are you really sure they want to get caught up ? Seems you are already offering extra time and they are not taking you up on it.
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Motivating high school students
