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Build Motivation by Building Learner Participation
Build Motivation by Building Learner Participation
by Barbara Garner
The Goodwill Learning Center in Seattle is in an
enviable position: supported by Goodwill Industries and private grants, it is not
dependent upon government funds. The staff are free to experiment. Students suggest
courses, and those with special skills teach them to others. The current roster of classes
includes traditional topics such as English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), math,
reading, writing, and preparation for the tests of General Educational Development (GED).
At the students' suggestion, the roster also includes public speaking, passing the written
driving exam, small business, and cash English. In cash English, students learn the
standard spoken English they need to succeed in the formal economy.
Director Pat Russell-Sims feels that participation motivates students, builds their confidence, and opens them to new vistas. At the Goodwill Learning Center, participation comes in two forms. It can mean being involved with the general running of the school; it can also mean being involved with other students. Learners, who include those studying ESOL and all levels of adult basic education (ABE), participate in hiring staff and in setting organizational policy. The students in each class determine their own rules; for example, students decide whether snacks can be eaten during class, whether children can be brought to class, and whether homework should be given. There's a peer tutoring program, and four of the Center's staff of seven are former students, which indicates that student involvement works.
Despite the Center's commitment to the concept, building student participation isn't easy. A student council started a number of years ago by a small group of active students provided the Center with a way to get student input. The group didn't grow, however, and when the core members graduated, it faltered.
To complement the work of the student council, another group of students started a newsletter. They write, lay out, and circulate the two-page publication. Students get copies in their mailboxes every week or so. It is entitled the Goodwill Community Learning Center Student Newsletter, News By, For, and About Students.
To further increase student participation in the overall running of the school, the Learning Center has instituted quarterly all-school meetings for the students. "We thought about calling them assemblies,'" explains Marvin Lewis, a former student and now an Americorps volunteer responsible for student involvement, " but assemblies means high school, and lots of people don't like that." To prevent classes from being interrupted, the first two meetings did not coincide with class time. Of approximately 175 students enrolled at the time, about 55 attended each of the first two meetings. They broke up into small groups to generate suggestions about how to improve the Center. Their lists included a request for child care and more computer classes; the administration is looking into the feasibility of both. Another request, for more ESOL classes, was fulfilled almost immediately.
Not happy with the attendance at all-school meetings, the Learning Center is experimenting with ways to increase it. They're particularly concerned with attracting night students. Now, all school meetings are held during regular class time. The Center will hold two meetings a quarter, one during the day and one in the evening, so students who go to class in the evening can attend. They serve food: donuts, croissants, bagels, fruit, and juice.
To broaden ownership of the meetings, responsibility for facilitation rotates. " A lot of students bring a lot of experience with them -- from church or other places, " Lewis points out, and the Center runs a public speaking class, so finding students to facilitate isn't hard. Lewis works with the facilitators, helping them prepare for the meeting.
Lewis is an example of a student whose motivation was enhanced by being given the opportunity to participate in the running of his school. He shares his story with us here. He would be the first to admit that, while building learner participation is not easy, it can be effective.
Click here to read A Learner's Story by Marvin Lewis