Learned Helplessness

mariabecht
Jan 14, 2017
2 min read

This semester I am entering a 3rd classroom that focuses on reading and writing. I am excited to be in a different environment and to be working with students once again. I want to continue to maintain a climate of support for my students as I did in my previous experience. Moving on, I want to change the language and words I use with my students in the classroom. Recently, language has been brought to my attention and how it affects students. Most of my students have a fixed mindset, which means that they believe that learning happens quickly for smart people and that problems they face are indicators of their intellectual ability. I want to use my words to reflect a growth mindset, which is values hard work and learning. I want to encourage my students' efforts. This relates back to Managing Diverse Classrooms where the authors write that praises that mentions how a student is smart or great can hinder them, and it is "far better to encourage effort". I want my show my students praise when them do work and think creativity. In conversation with my CT, I learned that most of my students have "learned helplessness" that accompanies their fixed mindset.

In EDPsych: Modules, the author states that learned helplessness is "when students who have experienced repeated failures attribute their failures to causes beyond their control". Numerous examples I have seen in the classroom include students saying "I can't do this", not asking for help even when it is needed, doing nothing during class, and answering randomly on tests without trying. The textbook states to combat learned helplessness by emphasizing understanding over memorizing, stimulating creative thinking, and valuing students. All these things fit into my teaching philosophy and in conversation with my new students I have displayed that I value them and their thinking. In addition, while working with my students I have related the subject matter to their life experiences. This has helped increase the interest in the text my students were reading in class.

In my field experience this year I would like to support my student to be aware of their learning with my language and I want to address their learned helplessness. I want to do this by showing my students how they make progress and how they are growing as reader and writers. This can be done by reviewing past work together and when I verbally address it. In Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives, Peter H. Johnston states that language can change the "academic and moral choice children make". I am excited continue to learn how to change my language and to deliver curriculum to students.