Dear Paige Turner, My learner does not seem
to be as motivated as she once was. She attends our sessions, but she often
cancels, and she never does practice assignments.
What can I do? -- Perplexed
Dear Perplexed, The adult
learners in our program are usually motivated by realistic
needs in their everyday life. They are here because learning to read and write
will make a very material difference for them.
However, that doesn’t mean that
it is easy to stick with reading tutoring. Keep in mind that for a beginning
reader, the tasks that a bookworm might find relaxing and enjoyable can feel
like climbing a mountain peak where everyone else always seems to be a few
steps ahead. One of the best ways that a tutor can help in this sort of
situation is to act like a compassionate and understanding trail buddy, who
keeps them focused on both the path right before them, and the ultimate peak
above. Below are some tools to help. --
Paige
Help your learner set realistic
short term goals. Be sure to celebrate even small victories.
Point out how the things they
have learned so far relate to their long term goals. (Show them that they are
already halfway up the mountain.)
Make sure that her original
goals that you have been working towards are still relevant to her life. In
other words, is she losing interest because she is climbing the wrong mountain?
Identify practical obstacles.
Is your learner cancelling her sessions because she has a frequent schedule
conflict? Is she stuck on a particular
concept and embarrassed to say so? Does
she have other home and work obligations that prevent her from dedicating her
time to reading? Once you know the root of the problem, together you can brainstorm
a way to get past it.
Are there ways that she could
combine the difficult aspects of reading and writing with other activities that
she enjoys more? Or other activities that she is required to do on a daily
basis? Perhaps she could read short magazine articles on the bus during her
commute.
Help her become the master of
her own learning. If she doesn’t respond well to the practice assignments that
you assign, have her choose her own ways to practice during the week. Ask her to help you write the lesson plan for
your next session. That way, she will feel more empowered and accountable to
herself.
Give each other a break. Just
as athletes can’t maintain peak performance 100% of the time, you should expect
your tutoring to flow in fits and starts. One example — it’s hard to
concentrate on reading when the bills are due.
It’s ok to miss a week or two to allow her to take care of immediate
needs, but that should give her the opportunity to return after the break
recharged and ready to learn.
Think of a major goal that you
worked hard to accomplish in your life. How did you stay motivated? You can apply those same lessons to coaching
your learner to achieve her reading dreams. READ MORE @
