In 2012 Spokane Public Schools hired a new superintendent and in one of her first opportunities to address much of the staff in the district she shared a children’s book about bamboo, and although I don’t remember much of the story itself, there was one part of the story that stuck with me and has recently come back into the forefront of my mind. Bamboo, when first planted, take approximately 3 years to grow; during those 3 years you must give it A LOT of water or it may never grow. After those 3 years, once the plant is established it can grow several yards in height during the summer months and will spread much like a weed if not controlled (trust me, I just purchased a home last year that has a bamboo wall that I now need to tend).
I’m sure by now you may be asking “what does this have to do with education?” Each year, as a teacher I have multiple students that require constant attention and often struggle with motivation. I utilize many engagement techniques in an effort to improve student success. I am usually pretty successful in getting students to buy-in and successfully complete the course, but after every day I leave school exhausted from the daily battle that occurs between my desire for each student to succeed and those students that fight to do as little as possible while in class. It is on days like this that I think about bamboo and the idea that not all plants flourish right away, some things take time.
Two years ago I was contacted by one of my former students that would battle me daily and wear me down. She was one of those students that you couldn’t leave alone for more than 10 minutes and each task (no matter how menial) would be met with opposition. I tried many of the engagement techniques such as creating academic games, shortening her assignments, and allowing her to give verbal answers for certain problems, just to name a few. The reason for her contacting me was what every teacher dreams about, she wanted to thank me for never giving up on her and wanted me to write a letter of recommendation for her as she was about the graduate from college and become a teacher. After emailing back-and-forth a few times I was more than happy to write her a letter and she is now working as an elementary teacher over on the east coast.
Each and every year I am assigned students that require my very best, they need me to keep pushing them to be their very best. Much like bamboo, they need the constant care even when it’s difficult to see any progress being made. It isn’t always the content that is the important thing, realistically my students can function in life without knowing how to use point-slope form to graph a linear function, but what each of them need is someone that won’t give up on them, that will believe they are capable of success even if they don’t believe they are capable. So even when I feel worn down, like I’ve exhausted every engagement strategy in the book, and like I can’t do any more to reach that kid; I’m going to think of my former student who is working to inspire her students like I inspired her 10 years before and I’m going to think of the bamboo in my back yard that required several years of tending prior to ever sprouting and that now won’t stop growing.
I’m nowhere near an expert on student motivation, just a teacher trying to do what’s best for his students; so share with me what are some strategies you use for those difficult to reach students and what keeps pushing you forward when those unmotivated students seem to be wearing you down?
Aaron Brecek
Aside from teaching, I also coach baseball (JV for the high school and AA for American Legion) and enjoy spending time with my wife and son.
Latest posts by Aaron Brecek (see all)
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When pondering what our school leadership could do to better engage some of our seemingly disgruntled, non-involved staff, a colleague posed a question that still has me thinking: what if everybody is just doing the best they can?
What if I approach each day, each person I meet with that attitude? What if I think about that student in first period, the one who appears to be defying me at every turn, as one who just truly needs more structure and support? What if I think of the PE teacher who seems to be ignoring my emails as one who is unsure of what to do and who needs an in-person invitation to participate in a whole-school writing with evidence practice exercise?
Assuming positive intentions is not easy, but doing so sure helps my frame of mind when the going gets tough and the year feels like it might never end.
Creating “Assume Positive Intent” as a norm in our department meetings and Instructional Coaches meetings really helped with the attitudes of many of my colleagues. It’s amazing how changing your mindset can help push things forward in a positive direction.
Such an inspirational post! I will be keeping this bamboo metaphor handy,especially when thinking about ELLs, who often require much more additional time to “sprout.”
It’s true that some students require much more watering than others… keep the faith that what you are doing will pay off; if not for you, then for the next teacher down the line.
Great post. Thanks for the Marzano strategies-great resource. One of the greatest challenges each day is to keep students engaged when they are wanting to be or to do something else. This is very exhausting on a daily basis, but the pay back is incredible. Just like the one student you mentioned, how great is that?
Another great resource from Marzano is “Becoming a Reflective Teacher.” It ties very closely to the TPEP and gives practical examples of different strategies to engage students.
Those kiddos that, like the bamboo, ask for the most attention and care, are probably our kiddos that need us the most!
Very true! And often not for academic reasons… Social and emotional purposes are often more important than the academic reasons.
I’m here for the comments.
I bookmarked that Marzano link in your post, because it looks like it’s a strong toolbelt of strategies to use.
This idea comes up everywhere, even in the most recent Twitter Chat, and it has that feeling at times like alchemy in the middle ages – is it just a fool’s errand to see if we can turn the Lead of student disenchantment into intrinsic motivational Gold?
But the difference is that no one’s ever turned Lead into Gold. And your LoR experience, coupled with tons of other people’s same experiences, say otherwise about intrinsic motivation. Now if we could only find a way to do so without destroying ourselves like Midas.
Great analogy(ies), Francis. Aaron, this is a really encouraging reminder that we don’t always see the results of our watering investments, yet the investment is worthy though exhausting. My student teacher recently observed that he is beginning to see teaching a lesson well less as a smoothly-run, prepared script and more as a messy, fluid, and interactive performance. I think he’s onto something good ;).
I recommend “The Art and Science of Teaching” for new teachers. I allowed my student teacher a few years ago to borrow my copy and he found it very useful.