A review of the new book What's a parent to do? (2022) is on the Network for Public Education website. https://networkforpubliceducation.org/blog-content/john-thompson-how-to-make-education-better-really/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Parent-Do-Child-Education/dp/1475866798
Rowman link: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781475866780/What%E2%80%99s-a-Parent-to-Do-How-to-Give-Your-Child-the-Best-Education
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Parent-Do-Child-Education/dp/1475866798
Rowman link: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781475866780/What%E2%80%99s-a-Parent-to-Do-How-to-Give-Your-Child-the-Best-Education
Making entry points attractive in teaching
Psychologist and Nobel Prize Laureate Daniel Kahneman asserts that our brains are ruled by two systems. System 1 “operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control.” In other words, System 1 is the instinctive, emotional, fast response that we commonly use in everyday interactions.
System 2 “allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations. The operations of System 2 are often associated with the subjective experience of agency, choice, and concentration.” So, System 2 is the rational brain that decides what to do, i.e. how to allocate our limited psychic energy. Kahneman calls System 2 a “lazy controller,” meaning that it is reticent to kick into gear unless it is prodded to do so.
The fascinating aspect of Kahneman’s formulation is that System 1 actually provides the input upon which System 2 makes decisions. So, if our System 1 tells us that writing a paper is frustrating, dull, and unrewarding, when System 2 makes a decision about expending psychic energy towards the goal of becoming a better writer, the answer will be an unequivocal, “NOT WORTH THE EFFORT.”
For teachers, the implications of Kahneman’s two-part formulation of thinking are profound. In a nutshell, it is this: to elicit student participation, particularly for complicated and challenging tasks, a teacher would do well to consider making entry points easy and attractive.
Imagine how recruitment into the U.S. Army would change if recruiters greeted every new prospective soldier with video footage depicting the actual life of a private in the army stationed in a hostile location in the Middle East. Living in a tent in the sweltering heat, constantly threatened by terrorist assaults, plagued by land mines, and obligated to fulfill innumerable inglorious tasks, such as dishwashing and cleaning the latrine. Instead, the U.S. Army emphasizes that recruits can “be all you can be,” while performing heroic tasks and unselfishly serving the nation. Realizing one’s potential is appealing; actually performing certain obligations expected of a private in the U.S. Army, not so much.
Similarly, for a teacher, the “feeling tone” established at the beginning of a lesson is critical. Arduous and highly-demanding tasks are great; that is where learning often takes root, grows, and blossoms. But, as a teacher, you should not start with overly complicated tasks unless you want to alienate everyone but the most dedicated student.
Postpone challenging tasks until the “lazy controller” of System 2 has made the decision to participate, after students are engaged and invested in the topic. When introducing a new topic, have fun, keep things engaging, and discuss the possibilities of “being all that you can be.” If the System 1 in each of your students is humming along happily, then they will be more likely to participate in intellectually-challenging tasks that require expenditures of psychic energy later.
Psychologist and Nobel Prize Laureate Daniel Kahneman asserts that our brains are ruled by two systems. System 1 “operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control.” In other words, System 1 is the instinctive, emotional, fast response that we commonly use in everyday interactions.
System 2 “allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations. The operations of System 2 are often associated with the subjective experience of agency, choice, and concentration.” So, System 2 is the rational brain that decides what to do, i.e. how to allocate our limited psychic energy. Kahneman calls System 2 a “lazy controller,” meaning that it is reticent to kick into gear unless it is prodded to do so.
The fascinating aspect of Kahneman’s formulation is that System 1 actually provides the input upon which System 2 makes decisions. So, if our System 1 tells us that writing a paper is frustrating, dull, and unrewarding, when System 2 makes a decision about expending psychic energy towards the goal of becoming a better writer, the answer will be an unequivocal, “NOT WORTH THE EFFORT.”
For teachers, the implications of Kahneman’s two-part formulation of thinking are profound. In a nutshell, it is this: to elicit student participation, particularly for complicated and challenging tasks, a teacher would do well to consider making entry points easy and attractive.
Imagine how recruitment into the U.S. Army would change if recruiters greeted every new prospective soldier with video footage depicting the actual life of a private in the army stationed in a hostile location in the Middle East. Living in a tent in the sweltering heat, constantly threatened by terrorist assaults, plagued by land mines, and obligated to fulfill innumerable inglorious tasks, such as dishwashing and cleaning the latrine. Instead, the U.S. Army emphasizes that recruits can “be all you can be,” while performing heroic tasks and unselfishly serving the nation. Realizing one’s potential is appealing; actually performing certain obligations expected of a private in the U.S. Army, not so much.
Similarly, for a teacher, the “feeling tone” established at the beginning of a lesson is critical. Arduous and highly-demanding tasks are great; that is where learning often takes root, grows, and blossoms. But, as a teacher, you should not start with overly complicated tasks unless you want to alienate everyone but the most dedicated student.
Postpone challenging tasks until the “lazy controller” of System 2 has made the decision to participate, after students are engaged and invested in the topic. When introducing a new topic, have fun, keep things engaging, and discuss the possibilities of “being all that you can be.” If the System 1 in each of your students is humming along happily, then they will be more likely to participate in intellectually-challenging tasks that require expenditures of psychic energy later.