This blog entry is due no later than 3:00 on Monday April 12.
In preparation for our discussion on Motivation and Mindsets, please reflect on the following quote from George Bernard Shaw.
People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.
Think about this quote in relationship to students and teachers.
28 comments:
This quote makes me think of the excuses I continually hear from other teachers. The excuses they give as to why they can't make individual accommodations or modifications. "Reasons" why individualization won't or can't work. Circumstances will always be present. However, what you choose to do about them is up to you. A long time ago, I learned that there is always a way. Regardless of circumstances, there is always a way around them to get things done. Or, as the quote states, you can create your own circumstances to get done what you gotta do!
Each person has unique and sometimes unusual circumstances to deal with. It is true that some people use it as an excuse, but there are others who find themselves in a hole as a result of their circumstances and no matter how hard they try they just cannot get themselves out. They find themselves alone with no support and feel like there is no point to try hard or make a difference in their own lives. It is at this point many students feel like giving up in school as they have no reason to put any effort. This is also where teachers have to try and make a difference in the student’s life. These students obviously do not a have a support system outside of school, so teachers need to try and help them by encouraging them, guiding them, and finding ways to motivate them. I have known many people who have dealt with difficult circumstances where they face violence, poverty, and no adult support. A majority of them dropped out of high school and are now in jail or dead. The only reason I was not part of that statistic was because two of my teachers cared enough to guide me through high school and into college. Sometimes students circumstances are severe enough that they have no choice but to leave school, so we (teachers) have to find ways to help them and stop that from happening.
Charlie Hernandez
I remember having a discussion with a student who was struggling. He would come to class on Monday pretty down and unmotivated. Instead of giving him a “you can overcome your circumstances” talk, we talked about the roots of his feelings. He was trapped in an adult world that he had no part of creating. His parents were divorced and he was shuffled back and forth between households. In addition, his weekends were spent with younger brothers and sisters who were also struggling. This young man had very valid reasons for feeling trapped in his circumstances. When seeking to motivate our students, it’s important to acknowledge that some of them are caught up in adult turmoil where they have very little control. Of course, we can’t let our students wallow in this mire without offering advice and encouragement. But, we have to remember that most of our students don’t have cars, bank accounts, jobs, or the independence to change their circumstances. Merely giving the advice to change their perspective would be irresponsible. First, a student’s feelings of frustration or lack of motivation should be acknowledged with empathy. Then, a part of the solution can be to help them change their mindset about the challenges they face.
Debra D’Amico
I might be going on a different direction with this topic, but because I just spoke to a teacher in the school I am observing I am bringing it up.
As I read this quotation, I was force to agree in an indecisive manner;more so because I had to relate it to the teaching profession and my experiences; however, in the scheme of visualing the student and their family as an entity, I feel that sometimes individuals are in certain circumstances in which they cannot lift themselves up due to lack of resources and knowledge. Relating this to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, individuals need to get their Physiological needs met before they can think of assisting their child with mere task; more importantly a child must be able to live without having to worry about what he/she is going to eat when he gets home before understanding how to develop the skills to complete the work being presented in a classroom. Within the same context, when those same individuals are motivated to come out of the circumstances they might be in, it might be looked at in a different way- maybe more socially acceptable maybe not- however these individuals have the capacity of being intrinsically motivated, whereas other individuals might not or are not aware of the resources available to them, therefore they have nothing to make of, not because they don’t want to but because there is nothing to make of (according to them).
Jose Chavez
We all have heard or known people that have overcome insurmountable odds and have become successful or achieved greatness. They were able to change or make the circumstances they needed to get on in this world. Children have no control over their circumstances. At the school where I am observing, there are many students who live in poverty and or have parents that work so much that they are not as involved in their children's education as the teachers would like. Everyday I see teachers that strive to change the circumstances that their students must contend with. They give them support and try to instill in them a love for books and learning. In every school there are teachers that help students who are having difficulties learning. Teachers are making a difference. It requires patience, desire, compassion, resolve, and determination. We teachers have so much influence and power and can change if not the world, the circumstances that some students find themselves in.
This is the ideal way to approach to any problems, any obstacles we come across not only in education but also in life. Since we are teaching, and giving the knowledge and education to the students for their future, instead of making excuses for any failure we should as educators look for how to overcome with those problems by taking into our consideration that every student is unique and different. Everybody is different and unique, that is our responsibility to find out the strenghts and weakness, based on those we should come up with a strategy to find the best way and move forward to accomplish the goals.
This quote reminded me the movie called ''Freedom Writers''. That movie is a perfect example.
Mustafa Sahin
My opinion is caught in the middle about this quote. People sometimes use circumstances as excuses but others have real obstacles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Circumstances should be faced head on to accomplish as many goals as humanly posible. But circumstances in the classroom should not be an excuses for not giving a student the best opportunity to learn and reach their max potential. Circumstances are just challenges to conquer and help us better appreciate what we have.
I don’t think it is as simple as it sounds. Some people have never had any positive things in their environment. They were discouraged all the time by everybody, even parents, and they get to a point where they believe that they cannot do anything right. It is true that we have the ability to change things and make things better, but we need to have some motivation, support, and strength to be able to try.
I look at this quote in two ways a negative way and a positive way. I do this because circumstances can affect any person in negative or positive ways, Therefore as a teacher I read this as a student blaming his/her problems in school on their circumstances. For example, I didn’t do my homework because no one at my house could help me and my dad says I will never need geometry, so I didn’t do it. An argument I have heard before. Therefore moving onto the rest of the quote “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up ……..” This is how I feel teachers can teach students to change their negative circumstance turning them into a positive. Sit down discuss the issue of why the student is not doing their homework and find a way to look for the circumstance this child needs to be successful. For example peer tutoring, modified problems, group tutoring or schedule a time after school to help once a week on the new concept. Therefore blaming a circumstance for what you are is like giving up. Show a student that you as their teacher care and find a way so they find a solution that works for them giving them hope. This will hopefully lead to teaching a student to be problem solvers.
Janine Trauger
I think for people who are blessed with opportunity and giftedness, as George Bernand Shaw was, it is easy to say life is what you make of it. Of course, we all know of inspiring stories of people that have gone from rags to riches or from the ghetto to the silver screen, etc. But in reality—if you are a child of two drug-addicts is life giving you a few more disadvantages than a child born to two college-educated professionals? Of course. Sometimes for people, life has become so bleak that the desire to look for better circumstances simply doesn’t exist for them. Nobody wants to live in a world where people feel hopeless. As teachers, we have the opportunity to see gems of talent and possibility in our students. I will forever be grateful for my high school art teacher who praised my artistic ability that gave me confidence. Although I did not pursue art professionally, having a sense of pride in myself helped me get through some difficult years.
Dawn Schmaling
Working in the school with children and families from different bacgrounds mostly low income individuals I realized that some people(very few and very rare) have the alternative or circumstance to enrich their life and their environment. But there are some others that for different reasons fall between the cracks of their life cycle of poverty. It is true that if the circumstances to become better achievers are not present, one need to look for them. But to do this some ingredients such as motivation,financial stability, education and courage are needed as background and not everyone has them and not everyone can put these ingredients together. In my experience with parents and students, I have encountered many different family situations, from child abuse to domestic violence and some other psychological, phisycal and financial problems. As I'm writing I'm thinking Does Mr Shaw has any of these adverse situations on his background? It is easy to say that people can turn their life around and I don't mean to sound pesimist, but realistically for some of the students and families I deal with in the school it is just the matter of surviving day by day.
In relation to students and teachers I believe this statement is invalid. There is no denying that a students circumstances, whether beneficial or detrimental to their schooling, are very influential on their likelihood of succeeding. A student whose parents both went on to higher education and have the ability to support their child with the necessary resources for school has the odds working for him/her in terms of doing well in school. However, if that child also has a learning disability they may struggle regardless of their home environment. On the other hand, a student of low socioeconomic status may be lacking in school materials and parental involvement, but will have the needed resiliency to succeed academically. There are so many outside factors that have an impact on a student and I believe it is imperative that a teacher take this into account when planning lessons and assignments for their students. Every child's method of learning and home/social life are unique and a teacher who has the belief of the Shaw quote will inevitably do a disservice to their students.
I agree with Juan and Ronen, it is not that simple. I have a student who has some motivation to learn, however due to her circumstances she puts that on her list last since she has to help her mother with her siblings. At the age of eight, she can not tell her mother or father “no,” that would be unheard of in her culture. I believe at that point it is up to the teacher to be a bit understanding since there is no way to convince the parents otherwise. The way to these children who show up to school, is to use all the resources we can to continue and increase the motivation while they are with us. Include things that they are interested in as references, background knowledge or teaching tools. Keep them engaged while at school so this way they will – hopefully - look to school as a way of controlling something since the rest of the their life is not under their control.
Alisa Friedman
I agree and disagree with this quote. I do believe that if someone really wants to accomplish something, he/she will find a way to achieve it. Sitting around and just making excuses for yourself isn’t going to get you to where you would “prefer to be.” However, in life, oftentimes, there are certain circumstances that we may not expect or just simply effect not only our personal life, but our academic and professional life as well. Therefore, this quote cannot be used towards everyone and every situation. There are exceptions to everything and this quote is just too general to be taken seriously.
-Sophia Khousadian
I think of this quote as someone making excuses for their actions rather than dealing with the issue head on and working on how to compensate for weaknesses. This could be due to immaturity or learned helplessness. For whatever reason, it can seem like the quote of a person who really doesn't know how to deal with their circumstances. I think of my brother, constantly making excuses for failing classes and getting into trouble based on his diagnosis or the label given to him by the school. He always seemed to feel helpless or bound by his circumstances. He was never given the tools needed to make use of his strengths, rather he was always made aware of his failures and eventually that is all he became, a troublemaker who failed out of school. Like so many other students, he became a victim of his circumstances rather than an empowered person who has control. This quote resembles a common problem with students and people and I think part of the solution to this is developing empowerment in students.
Vanessa Bruton
I think it is ideal that we want students to look past their circumstances and be motivated to continue on. Teachers can easily set high expectations that students need to follow and if they don’t, they get frustrated and discouraged. Looking at the students in the classroom I observe, many of them struggle with difficult circumstances that they cannot change. As educators, I think it is important to be sensitive to those issues and try to find out what motivates them individually. The students need to be taught how to get through the circumstances by providing ways for them to build up their unique strengths and help them find their interests. Teachers play an important role to guide students successfully and influence them greatly during the many hours they are with students. This reminds me of one of a student that I work with who has been through very difficult times with his family and personal issues. In class, he was very inattentive and not motivated to do anything. He would give an attitude and get angry whenever the teacher told him to get to work. I noticed that he would constantly draw. So every time I walked by him, I would comment on his drawing and try to strike a conversation with him. After a few days of doing this, I wrote down a problem on a separate sheet of paper and I asked him if he can solve this for me. He did and I kept praising him at how well he did. As educators, we can’t expect student to be excellent in class when they are facing difficult circumstances. Teachers have to create a safe environment and build a trusting relationship for learning to become an interest to them.
Grace Lee
I like this quote and can relate to it. I also have to play the psych degree card here because I do think the environment of an individual affects how they see the world. I think a child of divorce sees the world very differently then the child of happily married parents. So everyone does have a circumstance, where they grew up, how they grew up, what obstacles they had to overcome. People have circumstances but the danger is in using those circumstances as crutches. I am a big fan of shows like 48 Hour Mysteries and I can't begin to tell you the number of episodes they have had where the defendant blames their actions on circumstances. That is a cop out. It's the "I did it cause I had a rough childhood" defense. It's cowardly and a way to not take responsibility. It's using a circumstance or a problem as a crutch. It's about looking at the cards you've been dealt and figuring out how to work it so you're successful. It's the child of divorce looking at what went wrong in their parents marriage and learning to not make the same mistakes. It's the child of the happily married parents figuring out how to grow up and have a successful marriage of their own. When working with our students, we look at the circumstance and we figure out a way to work with it, not against it or way to use it to our advantage and not as a crutch or a reason for doing or not doing something.
The quote from George Bernard Shaw reminds me of a continuous chain of excuses that people constantly make in life. When asking others about their job or living situation, they will often include a set of well- rehearsed circumstances that have gotten them there. This is probably done in order to make others feel that they were just at the mercy of these circumstances. In life, it is often easy to blame scapegoats if things do not exactly turn out the way we intended. These circumstances that we develop as crucial to our lives can often restrict the choices and opportunities we make for ourselves.
The question, therefore, is why people find that they are not the ones in control of their own lives. One possible idea is that fear is a contributing factor, which would cause one to find reasons why they can't pursue something. Antoher reason that could cause people to feel they cannot control their circumstances is that it is comfortimg. Often if a person fails at something or did not quite acheive what they had hoped, a scapegoat helps them feel that it was not their own fault.
The main point behind Shaw's quote is that people ultimately choose their own circumstances. Those who create circumstances as barriers are using them to justify their lives. There are others, however, who will use circumstances to their advantage. They seek what has been given to them in life and use this to build towards their ultimate dreams.
Charlene Honnen
I agree. The world is at our disposal. We can do with circumstances whatever we wish. Everyone has circumstances that are negative and painful. In order to be successful, both financially and socially, we need to take chances and to navigate through the positives in our lives in order to feel inspired and motivated.
Each day is worth the effort to try. It really does not matter what your circumstances are, we ALL face some kind of adversity. There are countless numbers of stories where people have moved up and beyond their circumstances to become great, accomplished, and successful. Making changes in one's life is hard and often times scary but id you never try you'll never know...as for students, they are often the unwilling victims of their parents circumstances. It is part of a teacher's responsibility to help these families move beyond these circumstances of denial, hopelessness, and sense of less-than self worth. Not all things can be helped and there are extreme circumstances that go beyond the class but those are things that often times are better suited for laws, courts, and counselors to deal with.
h
It's always easier to blame circumstances on things that you want to do and haven't done because it's the easy way out. There will always be excuses, but we have to help students stop making excuses and show them that the only one's really stopping them to move forward is themselves. As teachers we also make excuses when it comes to dedicating more time to developing individual profiles for every child, so we have to stop making excuses and set examples.
This quote reminds me of a book that I am reading for another class called "Entertaining the Elephant." In the book the teacher is confronted to change his ways of teaching after doing the exact same thing for seven years. He knows that he is unhappy with his life (both professionally and personally), but he needs help to realize that he can change his circumstances by changing himself, the way he looks at others, and the way he teaches. His students also feel trapped in their circumstances, but together they help each other realize change is a possibility. I do agree that anyone can change their circumstances, but I don't think that people will realize that they can change their situation without help. Too often success stories require a sort of helping hand or a reaching down and pulling up aspect. Especially with personal self-worth at its lowest, people need motivation more than ever and someone else who believes in them and pours belief into them.
I agree with some of my classmates that to do this – make one’s circumstances – is easier said than done, especially for children. This is why it is our responsibility as teachers to teach children that this can be done. We can teach this to children by exposing them to true stories of triumph over circumstances and by exposing students to new experiences outside of their own world or circumstances. This exposure may cause them to realize there is something better outside of their own world. I also think it is important for us as teachers to model a positive, “can do spirit”, for our students and urge them to always do their best and strive forward in a positive manner. Also, teacher’s can model an intolerance for excuse making in the classroom and urge students onto personal responsibility.
Lesley Lauer
While it is a positive message for students to know that regardless of their circumstances, they can be successful if they work hard, it is sometimes easier said than done. Teachers should work with students to show them that they can succeed despite these difficult situations or circumstances. However, sometimes the obstacles in the student’s life can be overwhelming to the student, and the obstacles may not be easily avoided or changed. In this case, it is important to remember that the student spends a majority of the day in school with the teacher (in most cases) and that the teacher needs to create a path for the student to learn how to be successful. Sometimes beginning with some extrinsic motivational tools can jumpstart a student into working with the teacher to reach a goal. Eventually, it is more beneficial for the student to learn what motivates him/her intrinsically. In any case, this quote is something to be considered, especially the idea that if they can’t find the circumstances they want, they make their own.
Margaux Badalato
I actually think this quote is nicely used in a relationship between a teacher and a student. The students who always have an excuse for everything or a circumstance to why a task is not complete. These students, like many have said, have limited resources that they can find for themselves, so as a teacher we should establish a relationship where the student feels comfortable enough to ask the teacher for help. I think that if we allow students the leeway to continue using the excuses and blaming the circumstances then we are doing them no favors. If we can teach them to rise above the circumstances and teach them to find other ways to solve their individuals needs then they will be better off later. If we don’t create ways for the students to discover how to fix their situations without someone else they become to dependent on always coming to someone for the solution. The teacher in this sense should be a resource , not the easy solution to the problem. Children who have outside circumstances need more nurturing, but personally they should be shown how to make the best of it and create a path where they have control of what circumstances they are put into. In situations of divorce, poverty, etc, teaching the child that they have someone who cares(teacher), but also will push them to thrive (teacher). The work and sense of growing needs to come from the child so tat they can begin to conquer these circumstances with confidence and independence.
Kayla-
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