Combating Apathy

Recently I was working with a teacher who was technically doing everything right. His classroom management skills were great. Not only were his classroom techniques stellar, he was using a wide variety of teaching techniques, and asking engaging questions.

The downside of this teaching lesson was that the students were completely disengaged and apathetic to the lesson.

After his lesson, during our discussion, he asked me what he could do to combat the apathy he was experiencing with his students. I didn’t have a response for him. I have never seen apathy to this extreme and I didn’t have a response for him.

Thankfully I have access to a lot of wonderful people who are in the classroom each and every day, so I reached out to them. I asked substitute teachers around the nation how they combat apathy and I got an overwhelming response.

Here is a summary of the advice that was given:

1. Make lessons relevant to the lives of the students.
2. Be enthusiastic about the content.
3. Express a desire to get to know each student.
4. Show students that you care about them.
5. Students need to have consequences for appropriate as well as inappropriate behavior. They need to understand they have a responsibility as well.
6. Vary the techniques used when teaching. Let students move during the class period.
7. Ask students what interests them about the topic, cater lessons to fit their interests.
8. Make sure physical needs of students are met, for example, they have eaten something healthy, gotten enough sleep, and the room temperature is appropriate.
9. Connect the content to something they really care about.
10. Try to build a relationship of trust.

A member of the Human Resources department at McKinney Independent School District in Texas said that she had just attended a meeting where a panel of students shared their ideas on effective teaching.

Following are suggestions that they gave:

1. Don’t teach out of a book.
2. Get to know your students.
3. Create your own interesting scenarios that are relevant.
4. Try to stimulate students teaching in ways that address different styles of learning.
5. Don’t teach that there is only one way to solve a problem.
6. Don’t give out too much work because you are trying to prove yourself as top dog.
7. Avoid busy work.
8. Be personal.
9. No worksheets!
10. No sitting behind a desk!
11. Give us assignments that have a point.
12. Interact with us more.
13. There is too much sameness.
14. Assess in ways that allow us to be creative.

I hope these suggestions are helpful for you. I know they have been helpful to the teacher who was in need of them! Thank you to those who submitted your ideas!!