Re: ?Help with student motivation

[Sara Wolf <SWOLF@NOVA.WRIGHT.EDU>]

>
> The 7/8 grade science teacher teaches a chapter, including
> experiments.  She then tests the students.  Any student with at
> least 70% on the test has two choices.  The student can tutor
> another who has less than 70%, or the student can go to the
> library and do a research project.  The project can be chosen
> from a list or generated by the student.  For instance, design a

Who decided on the two choices?  Were the chosen by the adults, or by the
students, or by both?

> book jacket that has a picture of a chloroplast on it.  All are
> project oriented (NO reports).  The students who are tutors or
> who do a project receive points for doing this which constitutes
> 10% of their grade.  The students who get below 70% are retaught,
> tutored, and retested.  They receive a grade which reflects the
> fact that they failed the first test.  Before the class goes to
> the next chapter 95% of the class must achieve the 70% minimum.
> So far we are generally pleased with the whole process.  Most of
> the students who fail the first test do pass the second, thanks
> to the help of the student tutors.  Most of the students who come
> to the library behave well, work individually, and are
> enthusiastic about learning something they find interesting.
>

Good.  Sometimes it is hard to have something for the first time
successful students to do.  But, (and I'm sort of being a devi's
advocate) what about the students that are 100%-ers or up in the very
high 'A' range?  Are they held back by the rest of the class?  Could they
do some independet study of the next topic?  Of course, this may have
already been addressed by you and the teacher?

> Here is the problem.  Some of the successful students do not want
> to tutor or do research.  They've received their 70% and they
> DON'T CARE.  They are not interested in learning more and they
> don't want to tutor.  How can we encourage these students?
> Should we let them just sit in the classroom?  Or should we beat
> them over the head and MAKE them do a project?  Does this not
> then become just another stupid school-type-activity?  We eagerly
> await any clue!!

Are all of the projects indivdual?  Can they work in pairs, or teams?
Maybe they don't want to be the "teacher" all the time, just because they
fulfilled the requirements.  Maybe the projects are not interesting to
them, and they are not permitted to work together -- speculation.

What about taking this problem to the students themselves?  If the
teacher addressed the entire class the way you have addressed this group,
perhaps the students themselves could come up with a solution.  And, they
would then be accepting ownership of the problem, along with coming up
with a solution.

It sounds like they are trying to choose option 3 -- doing nothing, of
course, there really is no option 3 in the adults' minds, just the
students.  :)

Sara Wolf
Swolf@nova.wright.edu
>
> Sincerely,
> Janet Johns
> Berlin Brothersvalley High School
> 1025 East Main Street
> Berlin, Pa. 15530
> email  bbvschlib@hslc.org
> phone/fax  814-267-5137
>