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Permission to reprint is granted with proper
attribution (see last paragraph). 814 words.
6 Ways to Turn a Problem
Student Around
by Stan Cody, Author of Teaching Out of the Box
Poor students possess at least five of the following seven
characteristics. They are listed in order of severity and impact. The
interesting thing about this list is that if you remove the top item,
having determined that it is not so, the next item becomes easier to
correct or resolve.
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Poor home life. The family
may have adequate income and material blessings, but the quality of life
for the student in that home is poor.
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A very poor self image. He
doesn’t think much of himself or his ability to perform or please.
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The student was kept back in
previous grades. He failed to make the required scholastic grades.
(Sometimes holding a student back can be good, to assist in their
maturity.)
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Classmates who expect him to
fail or get low grades.
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Parents who do not expect him
to make good grades. In fact, expectations of this child are low, and
the child knows it.
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The student has never been
taught proper study techniques or good learning methods.
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The student learns he or she can gain attention more
quickly by goofing off than by studying, especially if numbers 1-6
apply.
Every student wants to be accepted, appreciated and
wanted. Keep that in mind as you implement the following techniques to
turn that troublesome student’s attention where it belongs: the desire to
learn.
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Become the student’s
friend as far as he will allow. Know and show respect for his name
and use it daily so he and the class can hear it plainly. Use his name
reverently. It is important to him. He is his name.
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Call the student’s parents
and share some praise about their son or daughter. Tell them
anything the child has done well; or just say how much you enjoy having
the child in your class. Call weekly for six or seven weeks in a row.
Give a brief, positive update about the child each time you call. Most
importantly, remind them to praise the child, and suggest they do it at
dinnertime while the brothers and sisters are listening. The parents
will love you for the interest you show in their child. Your regular
expressions will get the ball rolling toward that student’s academic
success.
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Give the student a simple
responsibility that the other students can see he is working on. It
doesn’t need to be complex, but it should be treated with the same
importance and respect as any other responsibility for any other
student. Achievement and responsibility go a long way to building a self
image.
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Notice – and be excited –
when the student succeeds. If this student is known for his failure
to turn in homework, his lack of participation or poor grades, it’s
noteworthy when he turns a corner, even if it’s just a little corner.
The simple act of completing an assignment is an expression by the
student that he’s trying. Recognize the effort. Get excited about it.
You’ll get his attention, perk up his interest and make him want to do
it again.
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Call on students who raise
their hands, not on students who choose to not hold up their hands.
A student is more likely to raise his hand when he knows the answer.
Students who know the answer are the ones who should be recognized. (If
you ask a student why he has not raised his hand, you defeat the
teaching experience and contribute to his misgivings about his ability.)
Let me share a little tip to
get a student interested in learning. Tell him in advance that you’re
going to ask a question that only he will be able to answer.
Confidentially, take him aside and teach him the problem and the answer.
Make sure he knows the answer well and can repeat it in complete
confidence without being prompted with clues. Let him keep this
information a secret. Even before you ask the question, you’ve made a
true friend. Now keep your part of the deal and ask the question (or
call for a volunteer), then call upon him. He’ll be elated and the other
students surprised. Best of all, he will want to continue to learn.
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Praise, smile, encourage,
assist, show interest, laugh, get excited and look your students in the
eyes. Be a little silly at times. Then be silly some more. Most of
all, praise your students.
Remember that list at the beginning of this article?
Defeat it with these sure-fire tips for making moves with problem students
that effectively make them good, learning and interested students.
Stan Cody taught for 33 years in Southern California’s
public schools. The author of Teaching Out of the Box (available at
Amazon.com), he
can be reached at
stan@stancody.com or through his website, stancody.com.
Contact Stan Cody's promotion & publicity team:
Email or
call 714 228-1101 (Wordpix Promotions)
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