I work for a Title I district, which means we receive additional federal funding to help us better assist our students (the majority of which are low-income/economically disadvantaged). One thing that quickly stands out is that many conventional theories about learning seem to not apply to most students in a district with a majority of non-traditional learners.
As mentioned, most of our students come from a variety of non-traditional backgrounds and situations. Some live with extended family, others are tasked with helping keep the family afloat financially, and some have no permanent home to speak of. As a result, these students usually have a sole focus: survival. So, while learning theories like constructivism (self-actualization through meaningful opportunities) are wonderful ways to encourage students to take ownership of their work, it's often hard for them to put any sort of importance on education when they're concerned whether the lights will remain on for the rest of the month or where their next meal is coming from.
In my years of teaching at Alief, I've found two pieces of criteria need to be met before a student will open themselves up to any kind of learning: building meaningful connections and remaining flexible throughout. The first, meaningful connections, is perhaps the most critical. It was famed educator Rita Pierson that once said "kids don't learn from people they don't like," which I have consistently found to be the case. Our students are naturally wary and distrusting of authority figures (whether from personal experience, observation or otherwise, it's commonplace in our district) and have difficulty believing that the adults tasked with educating them genuinely want to see them succeed. When you take the time to show them that you have a vested interest in their wellbeing and strive to provide them with a safe learning environment, it helps them lower their defenses and open themselves to listening.
The second factor that I mentioned previously was flexibility. As stated earlier, our students are often faced with hardships that make it difficult for them to focus on learning. It's imperative that educators in our district remain mindful of these challenges and learn to adapt accordingly. Certainly, deadlines and rigor have their place and are by no means unimportant, but if a student is returning home late from working a minimum wage job to help support their family, they will more than likely value the little rest they're able to get over completing schoolwork. Denying them the ability to catch up on missed work or turn in an assignment after a deadline often discourages them, creating a ripple effect that ultimately leads them to doing less work, disengaging from the class and losing your ability to effectively encourage them.
While my approach isn't novel or may be seen by others as too lenient by conventional standards, it's an important step in our student's learning process; without building meaningful relationships or being mindful of their individual situations, there is little possibility of applying any conventional theories of learning.
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