Dear colleague,
I was encouraged by this Study.com article recently that shared the results of a 100-student survey about what students want. Though the sample size isn't large, the results are both unsurprising and encouraging as I continue to apprentice myself to the Five Key Beliefs way of teaching.
So, let's look at how what students want aligns with this whole idea that care-driven (AKA truly motivated) student learning stems from the Five Key Beliefs.
- Passionate teachers inspire learning: 82% of students felt more encouraged to learn when their teacher is passionate about the subject.
- We should not be surprised. Passion is part of the CCP of Credibility. Thankfully, passion can be demonstrated by more than just over-the-top enthusiasm (my personality doesn't tend toward much of that). In The Will to Learn, I recommend something I call Gentle Urgency (see Strategy #3 in the book).
- Teachers have a big influence: 72% of students said a teacher helped them enjoy a subject they didn't expect to like or thought they weren't good at.
- This is the language of Value. When a student comes into a class with negative perceptions, imagine the joy at slowly discovering the subject isn't so bad after all and can even be fun. The “Why This Could Matter T-chart” Valued Within intervention is an empirically sound method for doing this (see this article or pp. 161-163 of The Will to Learn).
- Emotional support matters: 90% of students said having a teacher who cares about their emotional well-being helps them do better in school.
- Moments of genuine connection (MGCs) are an excellent way to help here. (See this guide or Strategy #1 in The Will to Learn.) Even easier: once in a while, briefly explain to your students how the methods you use and the assignments you create are designed with their emotional well-being in mind (e.g., a “less is more” approach to assignments and a bias toward rigorous in-class work.)
- Personalized help is effective: The most helpful teacher responses included explaining things differently (82%) and offering extra time (59%).
- This is the stuff of both Credibility (because such explanations require care and competence) and Effort (because clear explanations make effective effort clearer).
- Students notice effort: 92% of students said they notice the hard work teachers put into their work.
- I love this. Almost every student surveyed said they can see the work we put in. Even more motivation for us to ensure we're doing the work that matters most (which is basically the central thrust of These 6 Things: How to Focus Our Teaching on What Matters Most).
All in all, this lines up with my thinking that students want what we want: enjoyable and productive learning experiences.
They WANT us to succeed.
They WANT to WANT to learn.
And there are things we can do to get us all what we want just a little bit better each year we teach.
At any rate, I hope the survey encourages you as it has me.
Teaching right beside you,
DSJR
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