Demotivation towards Learning Leads to Misbehavior in EFL Lessons

After having deeply analyzed the fourth journal entries previously posted on this reflective blog.  I may claim that there exist an evident intervention point that must be considered as a crucial aspect in my teaching practice: “Demotivation towards Learning Leads to Misbehavior in EFL Lessons”. I will support this statement quoting extracts from the journal entries.  

“Unfortunately, misbehavior in students did not help most of them reach the objective of the class: Learn about family members.” (Journal entry III)

Demotivation seems to be one of the hardest issues that I have ever faced in my teaching practice. Experience has indicated me that nagging at students and requesting for discipline is not as easy as asking boastfully to students to pay attention and respect the lesson.

“Those students who had to present their family trees were anxious. In fact, those who were not speaking in front of the class did not pay so much attention; they were just focused on gossiping” (Journal entry IV)

I still remember the first time that I met my students the school where I am currently working, this a rural educative institution with around a thousand students. Serious social problems are evident at that place. Students’ attitude regarding the class was not the best. They seemed to be annoyed and reluctant to the class.

“The very first day, I was a little bit anxious due to the fact that at the very beginning of the lesson, students tended to behave naughtily and noisily. Besides, as one of the purposes I born in mind had to do with getting to know my students a bit more, I asked them about the ideas they could share with me regarding the school environment. Most of them complained about previous methodologies implemented by past teachers.” (Journal entry I)

Having the abovementioned aspect in mind, I began thinking of the possible forms in which I would address the demotivation and reluctance my students were showing. So, I started to observe their behavior in class. Besides, I devoted the first part of the class to ask them about the ideas they borne about English as a language. They all recognized this was important in life. However, they seriously complained about the methodology they had been forced to follow while learning English the previous years. Students claimed that not even a word in English was pronounced by the teachers they had had.

“Students were not focused and they did not like the activity that much. They talked a lot; they did not understand the instructions and the aim of the activity got lost.” (Journal entry II)

They also stated that the forms in which the teachers, coordinators and principal call their attention was not polite at all. Furthermore, students expressed that they were sick of being threatened with the argument of being reported on the “classroom behavior report keeping”. Some of them laughed as they said they did not care if they were given a negative mark.

My job as a reflective practitioner just started. So, I would come up with the following course of action to solve this problem:

First of all, boring grammar lessons should be avoided. Grammar should be presented in small doses as communicative activities are carried out in the group. Moreover, the idea of nagging at students and threating them as form to push them to work, should be also avoided. In fact, students must be perceived as human beings that need be treated with love, respect and humility. Probably, those are the sorts of values that these kids need to start growing up as social beings.

My beliefs about English, Learning, Teaching and 

Language teaching

In order to support the assumptions presented, I will quote excerpts from the journal entries, autobiography and teaching metaphor.

1. “The real needs of improvement are faced in public education in rural areas” Chávarro-Vargas (2015)

-       “This is a new school (public school in a rural area) where I work, the classroom atmosphere has widely changed, however I feel eager to teach in this school. Being a teacher at a public in a rural area is a challenge I am committed to successfully achieve” (Journal entry 1)

-      “Undoubtedly, the real needs that Colombian education possess are evident in public schools” (Autobiography)

2. “Teachers beliefs and views on education are shaped thanks to constant practice” Chávarro-Vargas (2015)

-      I admit that I am in love with my job as an English teacher. But, the perspectives I used to hold 3 years ago have undoubtedly changed. (Teaching metaphor)

-      I feel proud of my job, it is a must for me to highlight the positive and negative aspects that frame English language teaching and learning, at least in the context I have face them. (Teaching metaphor)

3. “Social networking without any guidance in class has increased unfocused students” Chávarro-Vargas (2015)

-      “I could notice that, because students were not focused and they did not like the activity that much. They talked a lot; they did not understand the instructions and the aim of the activity got lost” (Journal entry 2)

-      “If guidance towards smartphones and tablets would be established from the beginning of the school year, many problems would be dramatically reduced” (Autobiography)

4. “A reflective teacher eagerly takes and elaborate on the challenge that education brings along every day” Chávarro-Vargas (2015)

-      “Every class sets a new challenge for me owing to the fact that I know that my students are expecting great things from their new teacher. Thus, I have to prepare myself properly in order to respond efficiently to my children’s expectations and needs” (Journal entry 3)

-      “I am learning so much from the mistakes I make, but also I am proud of successful moments with my students at school” (Journal entry 4)

5. “Behind any language teacher there is a memorable educator that inspired them” Chávarro-Vargas (2015)

-      “Despite the limited resources the school counted on, her efforts to enhance students’ learning process were outstanding” (Autobiography)

-      “Now that I look back, I cannot imagine a life with a different job” (Autobiography)

My autobiography

I was born in a family of farmers, my parents have dedicated their whole life to plant, grow and collect coffee, sugar cain, yucca and plantain. My first encounter with academic life took place in a small school located in a faraway village from my hometown Saladoblanco. This is settled in the southeast of the Huila department.

I still bear in mind some lively memories of the early stages of my learning process. These have to do with a lovely teacher who taught me how to read and write properly. I owe my literacy development to her commitment a high enthusiasm toward teaching. Despite the limited resources the school counted on, her efforts to enhance students’ learning process were outstanding.

Regarding the secondary school, I was interested in humanities and arts. That is probably the reason why before I graduated from the school I made the decision to study BA in foreign language teaching education. I would never regret about having made the decision of becoming a teacher. Now that I look back, I cannot imagine a life with a different job.

I was working with private schools during three years. I can assure that I learnt too much about planning, classroom management, learning strategies and school policies. However, recently I decided to accept a job offer with a public school in a rural are. Undoubtedly, the real needs that Colombian education possess are evident in public schools.

This is my teaching metaphor created in class as a strategy to show a clear reflection on my thoughts regarding my current views on English Teaching and Learning.

To begin with, I admit that I am in love with my job as an English teacher. But, the perspectives I used to hold 3 years ago have undoubtedly changed. The following picture shows the form in which I used to think before I completed my undergraduate studies.

Isn't it evident how my thoughts have been reshaped throughout the years of experience gained?

However, as I feel proud of my job, it is a must for me to highlight the positive and negative aspects that frame English language teaching and learning, at least in the context I have faced them. The following ideas are merely based on my experience. Hence, I will be extremely subjective as I write. Three main issues will be pointed out as the thesis that support my metaphor is presented: parents' role in their children education, school policies, and students' thoughts on the world.

Parents involvement is  a crucial that defines students performance in class. If a simple piece of homework is assigned and  parents do not even warn children to work on it, it is improbable young students by themselves make the decision to work on it. Nevertheless, when parents involvement is excessive children tend to rely on their parents all the time and the responsibility foundations got lost.

Regarding school policies, I may say that school administrators' role as organizers of the school is of paramount importance. However, some rigorous policies are likely to decrease students' and teachers motivation towards learning or at least the mood students present in class sometimes is not the best one.   

Finally, students' thoughts on the world are encapsulated in the mass media. Social networking without any guidance in class has increased unfocused students. Moreover, if guidance towards smartphones and tablets would be established from the beginning of the school year, many problems would be dramatically reduced.    

4th Journal

October 1^st, 2015

In the first lesson we kept working with the last topic, family tree; students took a poster with their family tree to the classroom, then, they presented it to the whole class. Those students who had to present their family trees were anxious. In fact, those who were not speaking in front of the class did not pay so much attention; they were just focused on gossiping. The second class let students use the days of the week through the elaboration of a students’ schedule. Here, students worked peacefully and slowly, they concentrated on their piece of homework.

In general terms, the classes were doing well, students participated actively. However the time was not from my part in the first class, I had to ask students to be very general while speaking about their family. Also, I should have involved the students who had already presented their family by asking them about the presentation they just heard.  In the second class students did not have time to talk among them, due to the fact that they were running out of time.

Next week, I am going to prepare more activities based on speaking. This way, students are going to express their ideas while using the target language. Also, I will take control of discipline by asking students about things said before or related to the topic worked. I can say that this is a really nice experience for my life as an English teacher, I am learning so much from the mistakes I make, but also I am proud of successful moments with my students at school. 

3^rd Journal

September 29^th, 2015

Sixth grade students were working with family. For instance, I planned activities that let students describe briefly their family members. The first class of the week, I took to the classroom a song titled “the family song”, I found it really interesting, not only because it was perfect to introduce the topic, but it had a good rhythm. However I had some problems when I decided to play the song, I figured out the volume was not enough to cover the whole space. Then I had to sing the song, it was comic, hard and a rewarding at the same time. The second class was basically an introduction of my family through a poster, I also asked different questions to the students about their families. And the third class was aimed at double-checking a piece of homework they had. This was about a poster that had to be shown to the rest of the class.

I have to admit that students’ English level is low, but I know that they have to use the language in a real communicative situation, and this presentation was the best way to put into practice the topics worked previously. Unfortunately, misbehavior in students did not help most of them reach the objective of the class: Learn about family members.

Every class sets a new challenge for me owing to the fact that I know that my students are expecting great things from their new teacher. Thus, I have to prepare myself properly in order to respond efficiently to my children’s expectations and needs.

2^nd Journal

September 29^th, 2015

The lessons during the week for seven graders were focused on the numbers from 1 to 100. To introduce the topic, I made a poster so that students could take notes of the names of numbers easily and quickly. For me, it was really important to make students repeat the different sounds of the numbers. Numbers like 13-30 were adopted as examples of minimal pairs to correct pronunciation. I planned activities that involved students into the topic; for example, a clock was an effective tool to teach the numbers by telling the time. We also talked about our phone numbers. However, there was one activity that I did not like at all, it was the last one. It had to do with some pieces of paper that were given to groups of two, on it there was a question. Then, students had to answer those questions by using their dictionaries and asking their peer. The questions aimed at making students count objects around them, or provide information about their age or any relative’s age. Unfortunately, students did not fulfill this activity, I had to translate most of the question due to the fact that they did not know how to look up some key words.

I could notice that, because students were not focused and they did not like the activity that much. They talked a lot; they did not understand the instructions and the aim of the activity got lost. They had to answer a question by counting classroom objects, or taking into account dates and measures. Some of them had the answer ready at the end, but it was because I gave them a hand with the translation.

From this lesson I might be able to claim that in the future I must take to the classroom easier questions. And, I also have to teach them how to use a dictionary properly.

1st Journal

September 28^th, 2015

This was the first week working with 6^th graders at Jorge Villamil Ortega School; I had so much fun while interacting with them in class. And, I am sure that the kids also enjoyed the lessons. The topic we were developing this week was The Alphabet. The very first day, I was a little bit anxious due to the fact that at the very beginning of the lesson, students tended to behave naughtily and noisily. Besides, as one of the purposes I born in mind had to do with getting to know my students a bit more, I asked them about the ideas they could share with me regarding the school environment. Most of them complained about previous methodologies implemented by past teachers.

Despite the criticism exposed, students’ responses were great, they were really interested in the class. Also, they participated actively. However, I had a problem with the time given to each activity during the class. For example, if I had time for the warming up and the while activity, I ran out of time for the post activity. For instance, I think that this week went well because my attitude towards students was kind but strong as well; I was kind of demanding instead of bossy. The activities that I prepared to introduce the alphabet were focused on communicative activities and games. Students were focused all the time; I did not leave any time free to be naughty.

All in all, this week I am going to be fussy with the time. I will keep my attitude with the students; I know that if I want that they behave well, I have to be very demanding. However, I do not have to forget that I am working with kids and they need a kind and friendly teacher. This is a new school where I work, the classroom atmosphere has widely changed, however I feel eager to teach in this school. Being a teacher at a public in a rural area is a challenge I am committed to successfully achieve.