Is there such a thing as a student that is unteachable?
My immediate, almost instinctive reaction was, "Of course not!"
But after thinking about it for a few moments...I wonder.
Here's my tentative, pretty-sure-for-now-but-open-to-revision response:
That's a fascinating question! I've had a few over the years who definitely seemed to be fighting against learning, but I'm not sure that's the same as unteachable. I do think that there are some students who will, despite the teacher's best efforts and intentions, fail to learn. To what, exactly, this can and should be attributed...I am not so certain. Is it the methods being used? Is it the student's (lack of) readiness to learn or background knowledge? Is it a developmental issue? I think there is some content that some students will simply never master, no matter how it is presented to them.
I do think that how we teach matters, and that there are better (more effective?) and worse (less effective?) methods for helping students understand a concept. But I am always quick to check myself when students aren't learning. Is there something I could do differently to help them? Am I the one standing in the way of their learning?
When it comes down to it, I do think there are times when students will dig in their metaphorical heels and refuse to do the work of learning. I suppose in that case I would think of them as being "unteachable."
What do you think? Are some students unteachable? If so, under what conditions? And what can we do about it? And if not...why do some students fail to learn?
I would say yes. I have had a few students over the years who would not learn. That is not to say that they could not; they could. It is that they absolutely refused to do anything that may help them learn. When asked why, the answer was because. For at least one of these students, he had been moved from school to school in search of that one teacher who could get him interested in learning. There was no change. He was later moved from my school (after two years of trying many different strategies) and I lost track of him after that. I gave him open-ended projects, asked his interests and gave him flexibility in doing something that fit his interests, computer-based projects,outside activities-nothing.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, a student is only teachable if he/she wants to learn or if they can be encouraged/motivated/inspired/etc to learn. But if that student digs in his/her heels....then that student would be unteachable.
Thanks for chiming in, Christian. I think you and I are on the same page on this. I appreciate the feedback.
DeleteI don't like the word "unteachable." It feels bad on my tongue.
ReplyDeleteI wonder... I'll bet age is a huge contributing factor to whether a child learns something or not. I feel that I've had some students who "do not learn" for whatever reasons, and then I hear about them later in life, and they're doing well. I wonder if the other things going on in their lives at that one point in time (whether it be an entire year, quarter, or even a "phase" in their lives) just override their desire to learn. Or maybe they're over capacity with what they can handle. I'm not sure.
I do know, however, that I only have them for a few months, so I'm going to do my best to talk with them and try different strategies. I can at least let them know I care, even if they decide to not learn at that point in time. Frustrating, I know, but I'll bet I was that way at one point or more in my life, and am just now learning things I "studied" before... ??
I really appreciate this perspective, Joy. I wonder about that too--the difference between "did not learn" and "unteachable." I think there is an important difference! And I really agree with your point about demonstrating our care for students by doing everything in our power to help them learn. Thanks for taking the time to comment; I'm grateful for the feedback.
DeleteI'm also cautious about saying the student didn't learn anything for this reason, Joy. Who knows what effect we have on our students. Perhaps in ten years they will act differently because of a teacher (and perhaps they won't even realize it.) Do we always recognize what the student learned? Nope. Does that mean they didn't learn anything? Nope!
DeleteI'm not sure "unteachable" is a word I'd use, but there are definitely kids who just will not try. And maybe that makes them unteachable. I had a senior during first semester who just quit doing any work in both the classes he was taking with me. I met with him daily. I altered the final product in one class. He did nothing. And failed. Because I know he needs the credits to graduate, I gave him time to do a unit recovery and only complete the unit and final project that he didn't do. He did nothing. I know I did all I could, but it's rather disheartening when you care more than the student.
ReplyDeleteSo right, Deb! I've had a few students like that in the past as well. It's so disheartening--we do everything we can, and they don't take the step needed to make it happen. I guess that's the flipside of Joy's comment above; there are times where doing our best with kids will be met with indifference. Ugh. So sad. Thanks for the feedback; I really appreciate that you took the time to comment.
DeleteAnother take on this question is whether there are also teachers who are unteachable? I've had teachers who have always taught their subject the same way and are not willing to change. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteOooooo...sadly, I think you're right about this... :-/
DeleteMy favorite college prof once said, "Some students refuse to be saved." That has always stuck with me. It's possible that educators write off kids as unteachable when in all reality our approach or reaction causes the schism in learning. But there are also many cases where every chance is offered, and the student chooses failure. It's vital to know the difference between sabotaging kids and not taking the responsibility for their choices.
ReplyDeleteA colleague of mine also stated that sometimes kids are unteachable with some teachers; they just need the right person at the right time to come along.
I really appreciate that last point, Blake. I think it points to the complex social interaction that makes up teaching and learning. This whole thing is complicated! The idea of students being "unteachable"...I'm starting to think it might depend on the individuals involved, and their willingness to work at it--both the teacher, and the learner.
DeleteThanks for taking the time to comment; I'm grateful for your insights.
I think of it this way. I may not be able make a horse drink, but that doesn't stop me from drenching them with water...or I might not be able to make them see the light but I can make them feel the heat. I don't stop trying. It can be disheartening some days, but if changing hearts and minds were up to me, I'd be in the wrong profession.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you framed this comment, Tanya! John Van Dyk used to say, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. ...but you CAN salt the oats and run him around the waterhole..."
DeleteI saw you link this on your Twitter and was intrigued. I'm no teacher but love learning. It is a perplexing question! "Unteachable"...you mention sometimes students just wont' learn something, no matter what--"I think there is some content that some students will simply never master, no matter how it is presented to them." My internal reaction said that just can't be. Certainly with the right method or right person there will be some progress. But as I pondered it more, I thought of athletics. No matter how much I train, how well I eat, how much good sleep I get, I will probably never win an Olympic gold in triple jump. I do understand those aren't exactly equal comparisons but bear with it. Could the same be said for learning? No matter how hard you try, how innovative you get, etc. some students just won't learn something.
ReplyDeleteBut I think I good question to ponder is "what is the gold medal" or "what is success" both individually as an educator and collectively as a group of educators. Are we putting too much value in short term "success" instead of long-term? A student who doesn't master a certain concept now may not be doomed for long-term failure. You may just be another piece in the big puzzle that finally gets figured out :).
I think where we define the word "success" may make some students seem unteachable. So maybe it's a perspective shift?
I'm glad you took the time to share your thoughts on this! I think your athletic analogy is very interesting. I fully agree with you that no matter how hard I train, I will never earn an Olympic gold medal. But the training...will have some impact on me, right? Even if I can't perform at world-class levels, I can get better, I can improve. You have me thinking about the difference between growth and proficiency right now, which is an important distinction to make, I think.
DeleteThanks again for sharing!