How do I get motivation to teach to difficult students?

One of the main problems we have as teachers, is when we teach to difficult students.

My experience has told me, that it is not a problem of the students. There are good and bad days. Some people say it is going to rain that is why students are hyper, I don't know.

But one thing is true, the perfect day doesn't exist.

If you are a teacher, can you imagine how amazing you are Yes, you teacher. You are really so great. because even you have one of the hardest jobs in the world, you get up everyday with energy, addressing to the school to teach.

You, teacher, are really great. You must be proud of yourself.

Most of the times, we receive critics from different people, we feel dissapointed and we just want to give up. But for some reason, we find the inner motivation to continue, because we know that what we are doing is one of the noblest and most honorable careers, and we know that what we are doing is not for us, it is for our students who will receive the benefit of our work.

I think there is just one way to get motivation to do our job. And the motivation is there, in the eyes of our students that are waiting to see what we are going to give to them in exchange of nothing. Because our work is based on the love.

Be positive, because everyday is different. Today was a bad day, but tomorrow, maybe it is a great day. Always go to every classroom being positive and do the best you can do for your students.

I want to share with you part of a series I watched long time ago. It is a japanese series called Gokusen. Maybe after watching a bit, you will undesrtand how do I get motivation to teach everyday.

Why some teachers don't have education?

The other day, I posted why do I hate some teachers? in relation with the irresponsibility of some leaders of teachers, that instead of finding a final solution, they are calling for more protests and strikes to improve the education in Chile.

Today, I was reading a post of Humberto Maturana in relation with the same topic, and I would like to share with you some of his thoughts.

Humberto Maturana, who is a prominent Chilean biologist and well-known philosopher, says in his post called "¡Queremos mejor educación! (We want a better education!):

"When I ask for something, I need that the soul of the person who can satisfy my petition, can agree with my soul and welcome me"

"When I demand (...) I doubt that the wishes of that person will agree with my wishes, and I turn to a hidden or a explicit threat, trusting that the right or the force can assist me"

"If we are honest to declare that we want to improve the education within the country, what we have to do is talking, generating spaces to settle agreement between the wishes (...)"

(You can check his complete post in Spanish here. Or you can check his page in English here.)

I agreed with his words, and I feel that the only way to really make a change in education, is by talking without the violence that some arrogant people think it is the right way.

Again I say, how can we promote values, respect and responsibility in our students, if we, as teachers, don't show that way first? That is why I say that some teachers don't have education.

Talking about the problems is the way we have to solve them and get a final solution. By the reason, not by the force.

A teachers' network

When my students are working in groups, I prefer to call them "Teams", do you know why? Because, being a team means that everyone does his part to get a common goal that will benefit all equally. Since, I started posting on my blog, I have tried to search for other teachers to whom I can share ideas and experiences.

And I have done that, because I am so conviced that the only way to prosper and really improve my performance is by getting more knowledge from other teachers.

But to do so, I need a network of teachers. I will share with you what I have found so far:

http://teacherlingo.com/ It is a community to connect teachers from different levels.

http://busyteacher.org/ Excellent page full of material, resources and teaching ideas.

http://teachingenglish.org.uk/ Great page with excellent material, tips and ideas.

http://edublogs.org/ Page to create educational blogs, highly recommended for teachers.

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/ My favourite blog with the lastest trendy news about innovation in the classroom.

http://rpi.educarchile.cl/ Network of innovative chilean teachers (Spanish language)

I hope to continue enlarging this list through the time, and I hope to create my own network of friend teachers to support and help each other.

why do I hate some teachers?

To clarify, I am not talking about my coworkers, which I really respect and value a lot (I have learnt a lot from them during all these years), I am not talking about my own teachers, because I am here due to their help and support when I was a student.

I am talking about those teachers who are supposed to be our leaders, and instead of showing us "the way", they just really lost their own way.

Since too many days, strikes and protests have moved the foundation of our education in Chile. And I agree that we have to fight to get a better education, and the rights of the teachers, and all of that. It is just. for me, and talking with a really personal view, ... for me it is really enough.

It is impossible that after a long time, there is no solution to the problem of the quality in education. I feel it is so much absurd, that the leaders of the teachers continue calling for more strikes and protests, and when they are not allowed, they say that they will use the law to fight against that ban. Isn't it so stupid? (Sorry, my foul language). It is just... I really think it is so stupid to continue wanting more and more strikes and protests that just bring destruction and a huge loss, instead of just gathering for two or three days, to really talk with the government and finding a real and final solution.

It is so unbelievable that those teachers call for more protests, and they say they won't be responsible if there are "infiltrates" that are destroying all, even knowing that protests will just bring more loss. What kind of teachers are those?

I feel that we, as teachers, have a huge responsibility in wanting a better education, but we can't commit the sin of teaching about respect to our students, when we don't respect others.

I'm sorry to say, but I feel that some teachers really need more education.

5A9SZWNRCVWB

What students really love!

During all the years I have been working as a teacher, I have tried different strategies to work with my students. Some were really a success, others... were a complete failure. And some times, when I go with a negative thought that things won't work, students surprise me reacting in a positive way, working so well, cooperating, and really doing all so great. But sometimes, when I bring a nice activity (what I thought it would be a great idea)... then things go wrong. I don't get it.

But I have noticed, that the activities that never go wrong, are those related with the competition. Well. I won't say that students love competitions so much, but they really enjoy having a nice time, trying to be the first in the tasks.

Have you noticed that some of the students, those who are misbehaving, are just trying to call the attention of the rest of the class? And have you noticed that when you win in a competition, you call the attention of the rest of the people?

Now, I am working like that with my students. They are working in groups (I prefer to call them "Teams") in which, they have to participate in simple contests, and competing to get positive points. And it works. Because they know that the best team will get the best mark. So, during the class, I am doing different "contest activities" to make them work in teams, help each other, and compete in a fair way. I know it can sound unfair too, because every team will get a different score, but it is a way to promote the team work and that is the way they will learn how life is. They have to fight for what they want, and they must be the best to get it. In this case, in the classroom, as teams.

Debate: The problems of connecting the school to real life

I admit that I am a fan of technology and I am always investigating and trying to know and learn more about this topic. And for the same reason, everything I have. I try to use it for me, and for my work.
Watching the excellent presentation of Lisa Nielsen related with Connecting School life to Real life, which I thought it is a really relevant point if we really want to have students prepared for the future life.

I have always thought, that we are preparing students who will be working and living for many years, and what we do in a couple of years (School), it will be really important to make a change in their lives.

For me, technology and all the new inventions that are appearing everyday, must be considered as part of the process of learning. And when I read on the presentation of Lisa Nielsen, about that guy who thought that the use of cellphones on the classroom could be an excellent tool... I was like... wow!, that is what I think too.

It is really important to put at the reach of the students' hands all these technologies, because that is real life (internet, smartphones, facebook, twitter, etc.) or at least, that is the life we are living in today. But what I don't agree is.. if it is really possible to give all of this to our students, as a way to give them freedom to learn. Because, at least, some of my students don't understand the potential of these devices.

To give an example. For my students. a cellphone is a device to hear music, to watch videos, to store pictures and photos, and at the end, a device to call other people. Considering this, a cellphone is a device to have fun and it is not a tool to learn.
I can create activities to use a cellphone for learning purposes, but after some minutes, it becomes a distractor more than a tool.
I don't want to generalize. But most of my students still don't have a clear vision of their own future, or in many cases, their thoughts are not put still on their future. So it is still hard to make them understand, that in real life, technology is not just for fun, but a mean of connectivity, part of my future work, part of a tool to continue growing up in this life.

And maybe, that will be our role as teachers. To show them that reality.