Teaching Gratitude

Gratitude “..begins with the awareness that individuals have  choice of taking whatever attitude they prefer in a given situation. The second step requires that the individual attain a certain level of self-reflection so the necessary internal work of being grateful can occur.” (Froh, Miller & Snyder, 2007)

“What stops you from being awake in your learning?” (Howells, 2012, p. 127)

“Whose responsibility is it to assist you to be awake in your learning?” (Howells, 2012, p. 128)

These three quotes have awoken memories from the late 80s, when I was an beginning teacher and when I was sharing a grade 5/6. My colleague and I had two students who were obviously well behind all the other students in engagement and achievement. One student (Jason) was capable of being average, but not interested in any of the academic side of school, but loved any session where he could be hands on. The other (Matthew) was a quiet student, who completed work slowly and to a low standard, and seemingly to the best of his ability. One day we had batteries, wires and bulbs available for Science, and the task was to make the bulb light – however you could. Matthew got down to task, in his measured way; Jason in his boisterous way; and the other students in a variety of ways. Within a short period of time, Matthew had created a circuit and had a bulb lit; the first in the class to achieve this. He came out, and mumbled his way through his circuit, with me repeating his words so he could be heard. His class mates were surprised at his ability, and I believe it was the first time Matthew had ever achieved something first in his schooling.

From that day onward, Matthew became more engaged with sharing his work, and started to have greater success – he was never a brilliant student – but he developed more confidence in class and achieved better results. Jason, however continued in his disengaged (and disruptive) behaviour. I hadn’t realised that Matthew’s electronics success had impacted on Jason, until the parent/teacher meeting, when Jason’s mother mentioned the incident and commented on Matthew’s academic improvement. I think Matthew had been seen as the lowest student in their eyes, and they were happy to be one step above bottom of the class. She was concerned about Jason’s failure to improve. It was clear that Jason had the ability to do well, but was not interested in doing so…however, he obviously had noted Matthew’s improvement, and had mentioned this to his mother. I assured her that Jason had the ability to learn, once he decided that this was something he wanted to do – and from that point there were some small gains in Jason’s approach to the more academic aspects of the class.

Over the years I have wondered if we had been able to identify earlier the ‘failure to be awake’ and the things that ‘stop you from being awake’ for these two boys, what alternative outcomes may have been achieved before the reached Grade 6. Maybe I needed to be more aware of the need and manner to ‘assist them to be awake in their learning’. I certainly have been more of this in my more experienced years, and intend to be in a greater State of Preparedness. I will also work to bring a  greater awareness of this into my future practice. “As Visser reminds us, Being grateful is impossible without mindfulness, recollection and recognition.” (Howells, 2012, p. 134)

Electrical, Engineering – Free Images: Pixabay. Retrieved, January 19, 2017 from http://bit.ly/2iE6Mhb

Froh, J., Miller, D., & Snyder, S. (2007). Gratitude in children and adolescents: Development, assessment, and school-based intervention. School Psychology Forum: Research in Practice, 2 (1), 1–13.

Howells, K (2012). Gratitude in Education: a radical view. Rotterdam: Sense.