How Can We Get Students to Want to Learn?

In order to have a classroom set up to be conducive to great learning, the first step is the teacher.

The Psychology of the Teacher:

Happy
We know that great teachers are happy teachers. They love their job and want to be there.
Belief
Great teachers believe in their students. They know their specific audience and teach in a way that is developmentally appropriate.
Wonder and discovery
Fantastic teachers are naturally curious and want to know more about each subject that they are teaching. They are passionate about learning and are able to project this passion onto their students.
Inquiry
Great teachers understand that there is much to learn and that they do not know everything. They ask a lot of questions and encourage their students to do the same.
Creative
The best teachers are creative in their approach to make learning fun for their students. They use their strengths and recruit others to help in the areas that they are not strong.

The next step in creating a productive learning environment is the actual set-up of the classroom.

The Psychology of the Classroom:

Happy
Classrooms should be warm and inviting. Research shows that calm colors are more soothing than bright colors. Natural light and plants are also very important. Cozy corners create a homey feeling. Areas to work in groups promote an atmosphere that is conducive to socialization.
Belief
The environment should promote the belief that all students will learn. Listing the various intelligences (kinesthetic, musical, etc.) around the room promotes that all of us learn differently and it is OK.
Wonder and discovery
Classrooms should include computers for researching, plenty of books, and discovery centers.
Inquiry
Students should have places where they can ask questions in writing and on the internet. Questioning strategies should be taught and implemented into group and individual work.
Creative
Art corners and writing corners promote the creative in a student. Project-based learning is vitally important.


The final step is to make sure that the student is ready and prepared for learning.

The Psychology of the Student:

Happy
If a student is happy, he is more likely to learn. Keeping a student’s anxiety level down can help this.
Belief
It is vitally important that a student believes in his ability to learn. Students must understand their own unique learning style to do so.
Wonder and discovery
Curiosity promotes a hunger for learning. Giving students the opportunity to discover and then report what they’ve learned will make them continue to thirst for knowledge.
Inquiry
Nothing promotes life-long learning like the power of the question. Students learn that with each question comes an answer. They then can use the process of discovery to search for the answer until they find it.
Creative
Human beings by nature are creative. Creativity promotes curiosity and curiosity promotes discovery.

Just a Little Reading problem or Dyslexia

Hmmm, let me see, does this sound familiar?

...Tried Reading Recovery, and while it seems to work for everyone else's child, it's just not working for yours.
...You've had the best teachers that the schools can offer, and while they are friendly, intelligent, and passionate about their field-- your child still isn't reading at grade level.
...You're child either doesn't qualify for special education, or once again, even in special education, you aren't seeing progress that is worth talking about.
...You've tried your best friend who is a tutor-- no progress
...You've called the local colleges and had students whose major field of study is education--still no progress.

If this is your story, one thing to consider is to explore the warning signs of dyslexia. Dyslexia is hereditary; therefore if you or your spouse struggled with reading in school, there is a very great chance that you have it as well.

"Isn't dyslexia when you see words backwards?" you may ask. Actually, dyslexia effects one in five students, and here is the alarming fact...classroom teachers and special education teachers do not have any training in dyslexia intervention. In May of 2006, the National Council on Teacher Quality wrote a document entitled, "What Education Schools Aren't Teaching about Reading and What Elementary Teachers Aren't Learning." This document goes over the lack of training that many teachers have in the world of reading.

I am not trying to offend anyone. I can attest to this myself. I am a reading specialist. I taught "Correction of Reading" at the College level several times and I am embarrassed to say that I spent five minutes at most discussing dyslexia. I just didn't know any better. I had never been exposed to any research on the topic.

If your child is struggling with reading, please go to excelachievement.com and at least look at the warning signs of dyslexia. The best time to help your child is NOW.