This past week, I had the chance to watch the movie "Risen", the story of a Roman soldier charged by Pilate to investigate the death of Jesus. In other words, to find the body that would prove the death of Jesus. One of the scenes depicted on the screen came from a passage of scripture in which Jesus re-instates Peter. Prior to the crucifixion, Peter had denied Jesus, yet, in this particular moment taken from John 21, Jesus asks Peter, in spite of the denial, to go forward and feed His sheep. In other words, Peter is allowed to redeem the moment ---take that moment of failure, grow through it and do better.
Redemption is a powerful gift, and,for those who believe, the most precious gift of redemption was given to us by Jesus. But the gift of redemption can also be exchanged between us from friend to friend, parent to child, or teacher to student whenever someone is allowed the opportunity to rebuild, re-do, or replace something they have said or done. Redemption in the classroom can be as simple as:
- allowing students to re-take or re-do bad grades
- after giving students a moment to reflect on poor behavior choices, inviting them to redeem the moment as they return to class
- letting students have a "second chance" to complete that group work assignment that bombed the day before instead of scrapping the lesson plan altogether
- having students in conflict re-do a conversation in a way that resolves the issue positively
A couple of years ago, I reflected in this blog post on ways we can communicate to students that they are valuable. I talked about planning, preparing, engaging students, but the most impactful way, we can communicate to a student his/her intrinsic value is the practice of redemption. Redeeming the moment, no matter how significant, sends the message that you are worth the effort, worth the second, third, fourth, or fiftieth chance to do better. When a student feels valued by witnessing and experiencing redemption, the learning and growing will take care of itself.
This past week, I read an excellent article by Jennifer Gonzales called 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Unmotivated Students. In it, she masterfully models the practice of reflective teaching and offers five vital considerations to make when working with unmotivated students.
As I read the article, I kept thinking that there might be two questions to consider about yourself as an educator before you can address the needs of unmotivated students in your classroom. They are:
- Do I believe ALL of my students are capable of learning and growing?
- Am I willing to do whatever it takes to help my students achieve beyond their capabilities?
Success for students essentially comes down to their teachers' answers to these two questions. If the answer is "no" to either of these, then the ability to motivate students will always be hampered.
In his book, Teaching with Poverty in Mind, Eric Jensen talks about how schools can empower students living in poverty to be successful. He believes the number one factor on student achievement in schools with high poverty is the faculty ---the impact of the teacher in the classroom. He offers the following observation on the power of possibility:
"The first prerequisite for change is your belief in it ---and your willingness to change yourself first. At school, embody the change you want to see in students. We can help kids rise about their predicted path of struggle if we see them as possibilities, not as problems."
As educators, we have to constantly remind ourselves that what we believe about our students is communicated not only with words but also through the lessons we plan, the set up of our classroom, and the time we give. May the message we convey be one that is filled with possibility.
 |
| President Barack Obama |
