How will I get them to do some work?
Picture the following scene:
It is Monday morning and the start of another challenging week of teaching. What are your feelings?
Do you find yourself excited and looking forward to the challenge? Are you looking forward to another rewarding week of teaching and learning? The most fortunate among us get to feel that way on a regular basis. Or are you instead feeling something else. Perhaps the dread of convincing your student that the learning experience is going to be well worth the effort! It is a unique yet all too familiar feeling of K12 Defeat.
Parents teaching in the home are often faced with this feeling of K12 Defeat. A sinking feeling that no matter what we try the learner is not going to engage. There are varying degrees of K12 defeat and it is important to know how to recognize it and deal with it.
Mild K12 Defeat.
In some people the feeling of defeat will begin an hour before the start time, but it passes quickly and before you know it you are into the lesson and you and your student are whisked away into new worlds of learning. This feeling of defeat could be compounded by a late night or having to deal with new materials.
What to do:
- Relax and remember: The feeling is only temporary. Your brain will calm as soon as you show yourself you are on your game.
- Keep your lessons short: A short lesson time is known to support retention.
Moderate K12 Defeat:
The next stage of K12 Defeat is characterized by heightened anxiety while planning the lesson for the following day. The curriculum seems so long and arduous but somehow you choose a few lessons and plan your following day. The more you plan the more you question how you are to get the student excited about covering the materials. You are concentrating on the K12 Defeat rather than on what you will be successful at.
What to do:
- In addition to the above suggestions, make sure you are getting adequate sleep.
- Identify things about the teaching process that you enjoy or look forward to.
As crazy as it sounds some people have found that limiting their teaching time helps them focus for a good short burst with lots of interactive exciting materials. Three short bursts are far superior to one long intricately planned lesson.
Severe K12 Defeat
The third level of K12 defeat involves the lack of participation by the student. Defeat to this level is sensed and acted out by the student and forms a double whammy for the parent teacher! Now they are dealing with twice the K12 Defeat as the other two levels. Merely looking at the curriculum will turn ones stomach and the sight of a disgruntled student has the parent/teacher not wanting to bother!
What to do:
- Isolate the areas of the curriculum that really have you feeling uncomfortable. Ask yourself if you have had prior experiences that may have you prejudging your ability to share and teach this with your student.
- Consult a teaching professional to look at where your program delivery might need changing.
- Consider learning more about how your student best learns and see if you can involve more social and interactive aspects to the lessons.
- Be careful in openly sharing your displeasure of the program with your student. Kids will quickly pick up on negative feelings and mirror them!!
- Consider a different learning plan for your student.
All of us experience some form of K12 Defeat from time to time. It is how we respond to it that makes the difference.
Author Info:
Margit Barreras
Make homework hassles a thing of the past. Have your Virtual Student engaging and excelling in response to your improved teaching skills. Visit us at 2Think2Learn.com for more interactive approaches to implementing k12 Virtual programs in the home.
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