Competency and Motivation - Part 3
As we discussed last month, all children strive for competency. They want to get good at something and establish themselves as a capable person. But we also noted that if left solely to their own choice children may avoid pursuing challenging competencies that will best develop their personal potential. They dodge these tasks because often they are arduous, requiring more thought, effort, and time. They also pose the potential for failure. Hence, some adult intervention is necessary to provide children the support they need to face these challenges.
Take, for example, learning how to play the piano. It is not unusual for a six year old to express interest in learning how to play, and at first he may show enthusiasm for lessons. Learning at first is easy. But before long comes the necessity of drill and repetition, and there is no easy path to gain proficiency except through diligence and hard work. Maybe the child has to learn scales or memorize a short piece. In either case, the task is beyond the will power of a six year old child. Young children lack the maturity to tell themselves to focus, work hard and persevere. Adult intervention is needed and someone’s support (usually Mom’s) must provide an encouraging yet firm hand enabling the child to succeed. Once the child gains some degree of mastery, he experiences success and is inspired to continue. Of course we know the next challenge for the young pianist is right around the corner, one that extends beyond the child’s strength of will (even if he possesses the capacity for advancement), and success will require the firm yet encouraging attention of Mom. In order for children to become highly accomplished pianists the cycle may continue into adolescence.
Mrs. Chu, our music teacher, tells me that among highly accomplished pianists, there comes a time when they are not only improving their talent but they begin to realize that an integral part of development is this process in which they recognize challenge, face challenge, and meet challenge becomes an integral part of their skill development. They actually thrive on the process as much as they enjoy the beauty of their music.
An academic parallel is learning to write expository essays, those which require not only good writing skills but also clear and logical reasoning. Unlike the experience of the aspiring pianist, the elementary school child may not even begin with the slightest interest in learning how to write clearly. A teacher can try to describe the personal satisfaction acquired through writing well, but the child won’t buy it. How can writing be “fun?”
In this case it takes a few “hard nosed” teachers ready to provide not only writing expertise, but even more, the will power, the encouragement, the guidance, and the unrelenting support that compels children to build their compositions from atrocious first edits to exemplary final products. From my experience, I am not sure whether this process is more difficult for the teacher or the student because although the child is being compelled to do work that he does not want to do, the teacher on the other hand, must work with the student’s resistance, the absence of skills, a negative attitude, and the incalculable amount of time and effort it takes to bring each child’s writing from literary and logical mush, to clear, precise message (it is no wonder that teaching writing on this level is often neglected in most schools). Nevertheless, the reward at the end is great. Over time children discover the deep satisfaction of articulating their thoughts to specific audiences and seeing the impact their writing has on others. They learn to appreciate the value and rigor of good reasoning and logic, and they recognize the importance of being able to communicate clearly and effectively: a competency that provides lifelong value.
by Charles Debelak
