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WĂŐĞ 1


                                                    Motivating the


                                              Frustrated Learner








                                                               By Rifka Schonfeld, Director of S.O.S.
                                                                   (Strategies For Optimum Success)



         “It’s not my job,” she said.                  to cheerlead,” she told me.

         Many years ago, while working to train        While I understood this young woman’s
         a new teacher, I began discussing with        ĨƌƵƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ  ǁŝƚŚ  ƚŚŝƐ  ĂĚĚĞĚ  ĐŽŵƉŽŶĞŶƚ
         ŚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ŝĚĞĂ ŽĨ ŵŽƟǀĂƟŶŐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͘ ^ŚĞ        to her job, in reality, there are many rea-
         ďĞŐĂŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶǀĞƌƐĂƟŽŶ ďLJ ƐĂLJŝŶŐ͕ ͞DƌƐ͘        sons that children might look like they
                                    Bulletin
         ^ĐŚŽŶĨĞůĚ͕  /  ďĞůŝĞǀĞ  ƚŚĂƚ  ŵLJ  ũŽď  ĂƐ  Ă   do not want to learn. As teachers and
         ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ       ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ ŝƚ ŝƐ ŽƵƌ ũŽď ƚŽ ĮŐƵƌĞ ŽƵƚ ŚŽǁ ƚŽ
         the students. I will teach them phonics,      ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞ ƚŚĞŵ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ͘
         how to spell, and how to add and sub-
         tract. If they want to learn, they will       DŽƟǀĂƟŽŶ DLJƚŚƐ
         ƉĂLJ ĂƩĞŶƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞLJ ǁŝůů ůĞĂƌŶ͘ /Ĩ ƚŚĞLJ
         aren’t interested in learning, they can sit   /ƚ͛Ɛ ŝŵƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ ƚŽ ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞ Śŝŵ͊
         quietly or stare at the window. That’s not    The child who sleeps in class or takes out
         my job.”                                      ŽƚŚĞƌ ŚŽŵĞǁŽƌŬ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ƵŶŵŽƟǀĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ
                                                       ůĞĂƌŶ͘  ZĂƚŚĞƌ͕  ŚĞ  ŝƐ  ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞĚ  ƚŽ  ƐůĞĞƉ
         ͞zŽƵƌ  ũŽď  ŝƐ  ƚŽ  ŐŝǀĞ  ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͕  ďƵƚ    Žƌ ƚĂŬĞ ŽƵƚ ŚŽŵĞǁŽƌŬ͘  ǀĞƌLJŽŶĞ ŝƐ ŵŽ-
         there are a lot of reasons why children       ƟǀĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƐŽŵĞ ǁĂLJ ʹ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ʹ Ăůů ŽĨ ŽƵƌ
         ĚŽŶ͛ƚ ƉĂLJ ĂƩĞŶƟŽŶ͘ /ƚ ŝƐŶ͛ƚ ĂůǁĂLJƐ ĂďŽƵƚ      ĂĐƟŽŶƐ ƐƚĞŵ ĨƌŽŵ ƐŽŵĞ ƐŽƌƚ ŽĨ ŵŽƟǀĂ-
         whether they ‘want’ to. Maybe they are        ƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞƌĞĨŽƌĞ͕ ĂƐ ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ Žƌ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ͕
         ĂĨƌĂŝĚ ŽĨ ĨĂŝůƵƌĞ͕ ŵĂLJďĞ ƚŚĞLJ ŚĂǀĞ ůĞĂƌŶ-     ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĂƚ ĂĐƟŽŶ
         ing disorders.  As a teacher, you can mo-     ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀŝƐĞ Ă ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐLJ ƚŽ ƐƚĞĞƌ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƟ-
         ƟǀĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƐƉŝƌĞ ƚŚĞŵ ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ͘͟           ǀĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ͘


         “It’s not my job. I’m there to teach. Not














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      E-30                                                                                  August 15 '18
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