Student Comments, Day One

I will post student commentary on teaching and learning issues for the next few days. We all need to care more about what students feel and think about these relevant topics. For more student writing, visit this link off Questions for Schools.

Student Commentary on Motivation
8th grade students at Shelby East Middle School offer the following advice to educators regarding how--or how not--to motivate today's learners.

I believe that schools do a very poor job with student motivation. Students are not near enough motivated when it comes to school. But I think the students are not fully to blame. I believe to a certain degree, a student’s motivation lies within the teacher’s hands. I mean, how are students expected to be motivated and try when the teachers themselves have no motivation? If you ask me, it seems unfair…you have a teacher that acts as if they would rather be somewhere else ,take their frustration on their students, and then, still expect the student to have any motivation what so ever. It’s not only unfair, but it is infuriatingly wrong!

There is one simple solution to student motivation problems. Teacher motivation. If teachers would try their hardest to show even the tiniest spark of enthusiasm in the classroom, then the student may take that spark a make a fire with it, so to speak. Students may not admit it, and the teachers may not realize it, but a student’s behavior has a lot to do with the teacher. If a teacher is constantly nagging a student and fussing at them, do you think the student is going to show them respectful behavior? They should, but the reality is they show the teacher the same disregard as teacher gives them. And it’s the same with student motivation. If a teacher has no motivation, than the student will do the same and show no motivation as well.
-Brooke Monroe


Here’s an interesting question: why does school have to be boring? Why can’t everyone have fun while learning? All we do in most classes is sit and listen to a teacher talk for 45 minutes, and then we do a handout for the remainder of the class period. I might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but it’s actually really hard to sit still and be expecting to learn when it’s so bland and vexing. It’s complicated to explain, but it’s hard to do, and it’s unbearable sometimes.
Here’s yet another question: why can’t lesson plans be fun? As I’ve been saying, school doesn’t have to be so mind-numbingly tedious that we can’t even remember the class within an hour; teachers could make school more fun. But there’s a catch, can’t students have to behave enough and earn the privilege of even more fun assignments rather than unexciting handouts. Teachers working together enough to make something good for everyone. Like the power of peanut. Butter and chocolate working together to make a Reese’s cup, everyone loves it and it was a tasty, brilliant idea.
-Izzy Hawkins


Trying to keep a level head after 7 hours of work is kind of mundane, boring and maddening. Being able to listen to music is a release for kids/teens so they can concentrate. I am writing this to give you, the reader, the gist of what I am saying. So if you keep reading and you will understand why we need to allow music players in schools.
Music is life and life is beautiful. Having music is having someone to calm you down and let you think quicker. Music gives people this even the smallest amount of creativity.
-Joseph Ruloph


Teachers, please show us that your subjects and topics are important. Show us that it relates to the real world! Teachers, you can help! With your motivation, your students can reach a level they didn’t think possible! Care about your student’s success! Maybe you can change some ones motivation to your teaching instead of sports teams or passing grades! As a teacher, you have a choice to make a difference in your students future, teachers mold young people; you could make them into the next president for all you know. Please help your students be the best they could be and motivate them!
-Blair Bors


Interacting and having fun like joking around (in a good way, like making jokes on the subject) while doing your lessons and making the lessons fun is another good skill. It will get students listening and they’ll want to do the work. You can talk different, like in funny voices or you can make up little funny games with your class
-Marleny Garcia


Some people think the “good old days” at school were a time when teachers barked at students and “If you don’t get your work done, it’s off to the principal’s office you go.” (Automatic detention). But really, that’s not what happened. Some teachers are actually nice, and they really do try their best to get students motivated. Here at East Middle, not all the teachers are boring. We love our teachers and we do get our work done, but some of our teachers just don’t exactly know what the term change means when it comes to motivating us. My idea is that if some teachers were to get to know their students better, we'd work harder for them.
-Bre Perry