LQ in Identifying and Developing Learners

Not all learners are bright eyed and bushy tailed, well not all of the time.

There may be a coincidence that many “turned off” learners try to hide and themselves away and adopt the “hoodie” because it offers them a form of anonymity and way of withdrawing. What we think we see when we look at the learner on the left above may be as untrue as the world being flat.  If you could not dance and were gangly you would probably want to melt into the background and more than likely would not be found on the dance floor at any party. So it is for many learners in our schools, they don’t fit in and have learnt to be anonymous and, if challenged, sometimes aggressive or uncooperative. They rarely put up their hand or venture an answer willingly.

What can be done to re engage reluctant learners?

The carrot and stick approach is unlikely to work. They have learnt that the carrot tastes awful and they have become immune form the stick.  The key is in discovering two critical things about themselves and one truth.

• The first is that ability is not just measured by tests or examinations
• The second is that their learning environment can impact their ability to learn more than they think.
• The truth is more often than not we can if we think or believe we can!

Personal Potential

The first of the thing reluctant learners need to recognise is their potential and I am not talking about the 3 R’s or ability to remember and recall facts. Discovering that they have a host of abilities in a range of areas helps in developing self esteem and breaking down the idea of being a failure.

I attended the National Conference of the AIM Awards this week and specifically the workshop on a new offering the Personal Potential Award. What is special about this qualification is the process learners undertake in ultimately recognising their abilities. In many ways it is learning without subject matter.  Through a series of activities and guided by the leader of the course learners discover they have a lot more to offer as well as recognising the need to work cooperatively with those around them.  A common factor with those who have faced the challenges of formal education and not succeeded is a mistrust of education and a fixed mindset.  The Personal Potential Award does much to dispel both the fear and the mindset. Once they see themselves as able to learn they are better placed to re engage in learning. Nothing comes easy though and this leads onto the second key fact.

 

The Learning Environment

In the same way as our physical environment affects our health and well being so does the learning environment affect our ability to learn. The type of learning experiences we receive can make us either put up our hands or turn our backs. We need to make the link between our success as learners and our learning environment. Unfortunately few learners understand that they can manage their learning environment in away that meets their needs.  Further few actually acknowledge or understand the emotional impact  of a negative learning experience. Unfortunately the experience itself is often forgotten but the effect lingers into teenage and adult life. This impacts on future learning opportunities and the spiral continues in the wrong direction.

How Can LQ Help?

The purpose of LQ is to provide a language to both challenge and explore past learning experiences as well as to develop ways of coping with future ones.

LQ asks “Is what you are doing working for you?”  This can be expanded to include setting personal goals or developing aspirations and to getting what you need rather than what you want. Being withdrawn and shunning any form of education or training rarely gets people what they need or furthers their journey towards their aspirations.

LQ challenges limiting self-beliefs by exploring our learning maps, what it is we think we can and can-not learn.  We build these maps as we encounter learning experiences and evaluate our successes often through the strength of emotions rather than objective reflection.

LQ helps the learner work smarter by learning how to cope with learning environments that do not cater for their learning needs and in finding other ways to achieve the necessary understanding or skill.  This works for any learner at any level and in any situation.

Summary

I would recommend to anyone to take the time to exploring the Personal Potential Award.  A common factor with those who have faced the challenges of formal education and not succeeded is a mistrust of education and a fixed mindset.  The Personal Potential Award does much to dispel both the fear and the mindset.

I encourage you to explore the many articles on this blog to do with Learning Intelligence, “LQ”. Understanding the link between the learning environment and behaviours and attitudes is as important for teachers as it is for learners. A negative learning experience can set up road blocks and fix traffic lights to red unless the teacher deals with it appropriately.

There is a strong link between the Personal Potential Award and LQ. I see LQ providing the answer to the question “Why?” the Personal Potential Award and then developing the understanding of how to apply the changes that take place in themselves as learners as a result of undertaking the Award.

Finally

I can be contacted via e-mail if you want to find out more about LQ or perhaps arrange a workshop to explore how it can make a real difference to the achievement of your learners.

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