Prompt: How do you infect students with a passion for learning?
Interesting prompt, this. The first thing that jumped out at me was the verb, “infect.” My computer’s dictionary defines it as follows:
infect |inˈfekt| verb [ with obj. ]
affect (a person, organism, cell, etc.) with a disease-causing organism: there is no evidence that the virus can infect humans.
• contaminate (air, water, etc.) with harmful organisms.
• Computing affect with a virus.
• (of a negative feeling or idea) take hold of or be communicated to (someone): the panic in his voice infected her.
I don’t think I really want to infect my students with anything, but I have to say that while I may disagree with the choice of vocabulary, the prompt poses a valid question. I will rephrase it as How do you inspire a passion for learning in your students?
Here’s the issue. Most students are passionate about learning, but their passions might not match ours. They might be passionate when it comes to music or race cars or deliciously buttery French pastry, when we want them to care about Shakespeare or systems of government or calculus. To help them embrace what we are teaching, we need to make it relevant to them, their lives, and their interests. It is best if we can provide choice in how they acquire and ultimately express their learning so that we can tap into the passions they already have, growing and expanding them to include those subjects about which we are passionate.
In addition, I try to model my own passion for learning. As a media specialist, I love that my job consistently requires me to learn new things. My content, tools, and practices are in a continual state of flux as new technologies emerge to replace old ones and create new possibilities for teachers and students. I make sure my students understand that I am a learner just like they are. If they ask a question I can’t answer, we research it together. If a student can give me the answer, even better. It is empowering to kids when an adult is candid enough to admit that a student knows something she doesn’t. It lets them know that it is okay not to know everything as long as you are willing to learn. As a bonus, it also helps create a stronger teacher-student relationship.
(Still behind in the #youredustory posts, but working hard at catching up)
