What is your attitude towards the students you teach? Are you hopeful and confident about their future? Your opinion about someone can have a big impact on how you treat them.
Our mindset influences how we think, feel and behave in any given situation. The results of our efforts may be influenced by the established set of attitudes we hold.
We face a daunting reality where some teachers, deliberately or inadvertently, categorise learners according to their academic ability or knowledge. This article seeks to establish how such an attitude, especially towards low academic achievers, may adversely affect our overall productivity as teachers.
Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer and entrepreneur. He is a successful businessman and one of the few rags-to-riches billionaires in the USA.
Jay-Z once said, “Every human being has genius-level talent. There are no chosen ones. God has given every single person genius-level talent. You just have to find what it is that you’re great at and then tap into it.”
Since the reintroduction of free primary school education as enshrined in Article 53 of the 2010 Constitution, enrolment has drastically increased. The government also insists on 100 per cent transition of students from primary school to secondary school.
These noble courses have unfortunately had a negative impact on the quality of education for some learners. The number of students in secondary schools has gone up remarkably yet the resources remain strained.
In Kenya, secondary schools are also categorised as national, extra county, county, subcounty, etc. The brightest students more often than not end up in national schools. These 'big' schools are better equipped in terms of human and physical resources and capitation.
Interestingly, despite these and many other disparities, the students sit a standardised test at the end of their four-year course in high school. The results of this test determine the next course of action for most of them. Also, the competence of teachers is judged based on the same results, regardless of the category of school or the ability of the learners one teaches.
Students, teachers and parents go to ludicrous lengths in pursuit of stellar grades in this exam. Thus, the veracity of the exam results has been marred by reports of alleged cheating or other irregularities. By and large, Kenyans are not so famous for their integrity.
The saddest bit, however, is that all children are judged by their ability to get high grades in this exam. Students who perform poorly in exams have been condemned and given the condescending moniker 'third-world student'. Poor countries were referred to as third world. The phrase is deemed derogatory and has since been replaced by the more agreeable phrase 'developing countries'.
Some teachers subconsciously use this disparaging term as part of their peer-to-peer lingo. As much as many of them do it in jest, either to vent their frustration at poor performance or simply for humorous effect, the consequences of such a mindset towards a child under your care may result in poor yields.
Referring to some learners as 'third-world students' is wrong in many ways. It demotivates the teacher himself or herself from giving their best in class. Secondly, such a lacklustre attitude may be picked up by the student and affect his or her interest in the subject or other school activities. Lastly, placing a negative tag on an innocent child is simply unjust.
This attitude has birthed the concept of 'teach and go home', meaning a teacher giving nonchalant bare minimum effort at work.
It is unfair to surmise that a student is a failure based only on one parameter – academic ability. Every child is gifted differently. Not everyone can be an A-student. Some are sublime sportsmen, marvellous musicians, awesome artists, outstanding orators or first-rate financial honchos.
According to psychologist Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, human intelligence can be differentiated into specific intelligences rather than be defined as a single, general ability.
Teachers should try to identify and nurture the specific aptitudes of their learners. Attaching too much prestige to examination grades is illogical. Successful people are not necessarily A-students. We should nurture critical thinkers who can solve societal problems.
Financial success can be attributed to investments, owning big businesses, running small businesses or simply providing any valuable services. Nowadays, many employers seek workers who have certain specific soft skills rather than academic certificates.
We should stop branding students negatively. A positive attitude towards your students makes your work easier. It makes you a happy teacher. A happy, benevolent teacher can pique the learners' interest. Low achievers can perform better in subjects they love. A teacher has the psychological tools to cultivate this love.
Hopefully, the Competency-Based Curriculum will help identify and nurture the talents of individual learners. In the meantime, teachers have to carry an optimistic attitude towards the learners. Besides, life does not revolve around academic grades.
Teaches English Literature in Bungoma county. He runs a blog and a YouTube channel on matters literature.
