In my last column I described one approach for teaching children to
be responsible, namely, to ask them to contribute in some manner to
their world. I noted that some of the initial ideas for this approach
arose from research I conducted a number of years ago when I asked adults
to reflect upon one of their fondest memories of school, a memory in
which a teacher said or did something that enhanced their self-esteem.
The most common answer was when they were asked to help out or contribute
in some manner to the school environment. In that column I gave several
examples of these memories and would like to offer a few additional
ones:
"My sixth grade teacher chose me to collect banking money from
class members, keep records, and take the money to the bank. It made
me feel competent and responsible."
"In the fourth grade I was asked to paint a mural along with three
other students to be a permanent part of the school. It was wonderfully
positive! Later, as an 8th grade teacher, I had a class paint a mural
on a 1783 colonial farm in Connecticut."
"I had an eighth grade teacher who gave me the responsibility for
creating the decorations/backdrops for the school holiday programs.
It was a massive undertaking. She greatly encouraged my artistic interests
and talents."
"When I was in high school, I was asked to spend a couple of hours
a week in the junior high school next door tutoring students in math.
Doing this was such a boost to my confidence and I felt I was really
making a difference in the lives of others."
In last month's column I focused on fostering responsibility in the
home environment by communicating to children we need their help rather
than constantly reminding them that they had "chores" to do.
In this column I want to apply this approach to the school environment.
In my practice as a clinical psychologist and as a former principal
of a school in a locked door unit of a psychiatric hospital, I have
been confronted with the question of designing and implementing the
most effective interventions for motivating seemingly angry, resistant
students and developing a more caring, compassionate, responsible attitude
in these youth. Given the acts of violence that have occurred in our
schools and the complaints I have heard on countless occasions from
many educators about the large number of unmotivated, "alienated"
students that inhabit our schools, the question of how to engage these
students becomes even more critical.
I believe that one of the most powerful ways of reinforcing a more positive
attitude in students is for schools to place a high priority on creating
opportunities for students to participate in what I call "contributory
activities," that is, activities in which they are involved in
contributing not only to the school but to their surrounding neighborhood.
These activities, which can be tied to all kinds of academic work, serve
to reinforce a feeling of belonging and making a positive difference,
and of strengthening a sense of self-worth.
The belief in the efficacy of "contributory activities" is
shared by many others. For example, Albina Gaudino and Michele Tamaren
described how students with visual handicaps and learning problems produced
piggy banks to sell and sponsored a bake sale and a raffle with the
proceeds going to a needy family; these activities enhanced the students’
self-esteem and reinforced the many academic skills that were involved
in the project. Similarly, Mary Sarver reported the emotional and cognitive
benefits of having students between the ages of 8-12 plan and take care
of a school garden in which flowers and vegetables were grown. Sarver
noted, "It was not at all surprising that many of my students asked
to take some of their harvest from the garden to their other teachers.
The flowers and vegetables they had grown were silent proof they could
succeed."
Child development specialist Urie Bronfenbrenner recommends that schools
implement a "curriculum for caring" that would provide students
with experiences to learn about and engage in acts of caring with such
populations as "old people, younger children, the sick and the
lonely." Relatedly, Michael Rutter, a British psychiatrist who
has studied the school environment found that "ample opportunities
for children to take responsibility and to participate in the running
of their school lives appear conducive to good attainments, attendance,
and behavior. Thus academic outcome was better in schools where a high
proportion of pupils had been a captain, homework monitor, or some equivalent
position."
I believe that many students who have been labeled as "resistant,"
"oppositional," or "unmotivated" can be reached
more effectively by providing carefully planned and supervised activities
that accentuate their capabilities rather than relying almost exclusively
on negative consequences such as suspension or even retention that ironically
often intensify their antipathy for school. It is for this reason that
when I am asked to consult about students who are presenting difficulties
in school (e.g., they are not doing their work or they are hostile towards
teachers or they skip classes), a couple of the questions I raise are,
"Putting aside state laws, what is in it for this student to come
to school? What brings this student a sense of accomplishment in school?"
By asking these questions I am not recommending that we should not hold
students accountable for misbehavior, especially behaviors that pose
a threat to themselves and others. Rather I am suggesting that we might
be more effective in changing misbehavior by finding ways to communicate
to these students that we need their help and that they have something
to contribute to the school environment rather than focusing our interventions
exclusively on punishment. I have observed angry, seemingly unmotivated
students become more cooperative when we enlist them in helping others.
Yet it has been my experience as I consult with educators about students
who are angry and not succeeding that there are some educators who perceive
any suggestion for providing "contributory activities" as
"giving in to the student" or as one educator told me at a
workshop, "Your philosophy is to spoil children and to reinforce
negative behavior." I have also heard, "Why should I allow
her to tutor a younger child in math, when she won't do her own homework?"
or "If I allow her to take care of the class pet or tutor a younger
child, all the other children will want to do it as well" or "Having
children he lp out will take time away from teaching."
My responses to these comments are that to reach many angry, unmotivated
students, we must have the courage to modify our unsuccessful interventions,
interventions that may actually increase a student's lack of interest
in school. As I noted above, this should not be taken to imply that
we refrain from applying consequences, but rather that we also expend
energy on developing innovative strategies that will help to alter these
students’ negative views so that they begin to perceive the school
environment as a place in which their strengths rather than deficits
are highlighted; if this change of attitude is achieved, increased cooperation,
accountability, and productivity are likely to follow. I would also
contend that there are enough activities in schools to engage all students,
whether they are demonstrating problems or not, in tasks that convey
a sense of contribution and belonging. I wish to emphasize that these
activities need not take any time from teaching but rather can become
an integral part of the curricula and interwoven with the teaching of
all academic skills and content.
Given the importance of what I consider to be a more positive approach
to lessening anger and alienation in our schools while reinforcing motivation,
responsibility, learning, and caring, let’s examine several more
examples that involve students in the act of helping. As you read these
examples, reflect upon your own life, your own experiences in school,
and your current experiences ¯. Can you think of times your sense
of self-worth and motivation were reinforced as a child or adolescent
because someone conveyed a belief in your ability to contribute to others?
Even as adults our self-esteem and positive feelings towards our place
of employment are enhanced when we assist others and feel that we make
a positive difference in the workplace. I have often said that if we
do not insure that students have the opportunity to make a positive
difference, they will discover ways to make a negative difference.
I visited an elementary school and talked with some students. They gave
me a colorful button that I show at most of my workshops, a button with
the inscription "SOS, Serving Our School." The SOS program
was developed by a teacher at the school who had become intrigued by
the notion of contributory activities. The program involved each student
being "on duty" at some point during the week to perform various
errands for the school staff (e.g., teachers, principal, custodian,
secretary). While on duty they wore the SOS badge. In my discussion
with the students it was obvious that the program was a source of pride
and achievement for them and they looked forward to the contributions
they could make.
Another popular contributory activity involves the use of students as
tutors, a practice that has been found to benefit both the student who
is doing the tutoring as well as the student receiving instruction.
In this regard I am reminded of the impressive results of the Valued
Youth Partnership Program developed in San Antonio in which the dropout
of young adolescents was cut significantly, primarily involving them
as tutors for younger children in the elementary school. A report, which
was issued by the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development and titled,
"Turning Points: Preparing Youth for the 21st Century," commended
the program, noting, "A rise in tutors’ self-esteem is the
most noticeable effect of the program. . . . As a result only two percent
of all tutors have dropped out of school. This is remarkable, given
that all of these students had been held back twice or more and were
reading at least two grade levels below their current grade placement.
Disciplinary problems have become less severe, grades have improved,
and attendance of tutors has soared."
Billy, a nine-year-old child with low self-esteem and learning problems,
who demonstrated his dislike of school by hiding behind the bushes next
to the school building. In interviewing Billy I discovered that the
one thing he enjoyed doing and that he thought he did very well was
taking care of his pet dog. Consequently, I consulted with the school
principal and Billy was recruited as the "pet monitor" of
the school, a position that involved his taking care of various pets
in the school, writing a brief pet care manual that was eventually bound
and placed in the school library (prior to this point Billy did not
like to write, but with the encouragement and assistance of his teacher
he wrote the manual because he believed he had words of wisdom to offer),
and speaking to all the classrooms in the building about the care of
pets. His resistance to school, his anger, and his lack of motivation
decreased markedly with his new position in school, a position that
highlighted his strengths and conveyed the important message that his
presence made a positive difference in the school.
A final example comes from a fourth grade teacher who arranged for her
class to become penpals with residents of a local nursing home. The
students’ motivation to write and their sense of self-worth increased
since they recognized that they were making a difference in the lives
of the elderly. An added benefit was that the outlook of the elderly
improved as they responded to the letters of their penpals and invited
them to a luncheon at the nursing home. From what I was told, it was
a very heartwarming, emotional luncheon.
As is evident from this column and my last column, I believe that one
of the most effective ways of teaching responsibility and compassion
to our youth is to create opportunities for them to help others. By
so doing we communicate the message, "We believe in you and we
believe you have a great deal to offer your world." This message,
which reinforces responsibility, caring, motivation, and connectedness,
is one that should be conveyed to all of our children. It is truly one
of the most important messages we can transmit as parents and teachers
and other caregivers in preparing our children for the challenges they
will confront in their adult lives.
