THEY are our unsung heroes. They feed us knowledge. They make us finer citizens. Who are they? Why, none other than our teachers! Motivation
starts with studentsPop quiz time: What's wrong with the statement above?
A. There is a misspelled word.
If you selected "D," you deserve an A.
B. It contains a run-on sentence.
C. Absolutely nothing.
D. The statement should have read: "They are their own unsung heroes. The feed themselves knowledge. They make themselves finer citizens. Who are they? Why none other than our students!"See, with all the talk about education and the possibility of a public school teachers' strike, I realized that teachers are accountable for far too much of the success or failure of Hawaii's public school students, while students account for far too little.
Consider the following views, among others, from a former teacher of mine, and "What Smart Students Know," a book by Adam Robinson, that teaches students how to "free themselves of the over-reliance on teachers ..." and "... improve learning skills no matter what the quality of their teacher."
No teacher can motivate you as well as you can motivate yourself.
If you don't already know, it is next to impossible for a teacher to motivate a student if the student refuses to motivate himself or herself. So an unmotivated student should not necessarily reflect on the teacher. It may be that the student is incapable of self-motivation.
Surprise! No teacher will ever know the method through which each student absorbs information. Why? Because we all learn at different levels.
"While teachers tell students what they have to learn," Robinson writes in his book, "how students learn that material is their business. No teacher, no matter how gifted or dedicated, knows how you think and process information better than you do."
It is therefore up to the student to figure out his or her own best method for learning, and an "I've learned nothing" type of student should not necessarily indicate that the teacher is inefficient. It may be the student who is an inefficient learner.
Why do particular students, despite sharing with some 20 to 30 other students the same boring teacher, nevertheless ace exams and papers? Because these students find their own way to make boring subjects interesting!
It's true. I remember an enthusiastic straight-A classmate who was eager to learn anything, no matter how boring the course or teacher. As a result of her positive attitude, she excelled in school and was named our class valedictorian.
Teachers may appear to have the power to bore students, but really, students are more capable of boring themselves.
I could go on and on. My point is that teaching techniques will likely remain the same for some time. Hence, in my humble opinion, students might as well face that fact and fine tune their method of learning if they want to get an education. Those who stubbornly refuse to learn hurt only themselves and their future.
It's about time we support our teachers, not blame and bash them! We can start by agreeing that a majority of Hawaii's teachers deserve a pay hike that allows them to live comfortably.
Students, too, need to bear their share of responsibilities to help shape Hawaii's schools, lest our teachers walk out, saying, "I can't take this."
Warren Kaneshiro is 19 and will practice what
he preaches when he returns to school at the
University of Hawaii in August.Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives. Speak up by fax at 523-8509; by answering machine at 525-8666; snail mail at P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802; or e-mail, features@starbulletin.com