Four Strategies from "17 Ways to Combat Learned Helplessness in the Classroom"

From Sarah Tantillo’s article, “17 Ways to Combat Learned Helpless in the Classroom”

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Tantillo says:

1. Don't offer a "get out of work free" option

IF: You assign classwork and then go over it before holding students accountable for having completed it...

THEN: Students realize they can wait till the timer rings, then copy the answers as you go over them. So they don’t even try to do the work. They will sit quietly or chat with a neighbor, which is more fun.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Either circulate and assign credit (with a stamp or initial) as students work, collect it before reviewing, or provide and give credit for ‘notes from discussion’ that students must complete in addition.”

Bridget and Brooke say:

• Even better, help kids learn that copying down answers or recording information without thought doesn’t lead to learning.  This will help them to achieve Criteria 3.2, Ownership of learning.
• Give a low weight to homework or classwork where kids aren’t working independently. Base most of a student’s grade on formative or summative assessments.

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Tantillo says:

2. Make sure they're invested

IF: You fail to make a pitch for the lesson’s objective...

THEN: Students will wonder, Why are we doing this? Being told WHAT they are doing (i.e., the agenda) is not enough. Without knowing the purpose for the lesson, students feel like hostages, and while they might comply with your demands, they are less likely to feel motivated or personally invested in the work.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Share the objective (which is ideally “RPM”—rigorous, purposeful, and measurable) and make a pitch that explains what’s in it for them. And remind them of that purpose throughout the lesson (“Let’s not forget WHY we’re looking for the most relevant evidence: so we can wow readers and convince them of our argument”).”

Bridget and Brooke say:

• Criteria 1.1 is “Connection to standards, broader purpose and transferable skill.”  Make sure your students know why this lesson matters if you want them to give their best.

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Tantillo says:

3. Don't skip modeling and guided practice

IF: You fail to model the work (esp. without interruption) and/or you skip guided practice...

THEN: Students will not work well independently. When students are unclear about what they are supposed to do, they do nothing. Or chat. Or do something else to get into trouble. Misbehavior is often the result of students feeling incompetent and acting out to distract from the fact that they don’t know how to be successful at what you are asking them to do.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Provide a clear, instructive model of whatever skills or strategies you want students to use. And remember, “I Do” doesn’t mean “I do everything while you sit silently and do nothing.” You need to engage students and check for understanding during the modeling phase so that you can assess if students need more modeling, paired work, or independent work.”

4. Make sure they know what good looks like

IF: You don’t provide students with model essays, sentences, or examples, BEFORE they need to complete a task...

THEN: They don’t know what “good” looks like and will be uncertain about what to do.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Analyze an exemplar before you set students to work. Assess it together on a rubric or compare “good” and “great” so students can aim for “great” from the start.

Bridget and Brooke say:

• We really like the highlighted parts above.
• Tantillo is addressing  Criteria 1.3, Success criteria and performance tasks AND Criteria 3.5, Teacher use of formative assessment data AND   Criteria 3.4, Differentiated instruction.
• Ensure that your students ALWAYS know what it looks like to do the assignment well, then monitor their efforts, and adjust based on their performance. Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? While it certainly isn't easy, student learning flourishes with success criteria, formative assessment, and adjustment of instruction.