Blog Post #5: Chapter 16 - "Understanding Students' Resistance to Learning"

In "The Skillful Teacher" by Stephen D. Brookfield, Chapter 16 is all about students resisting learning and the reasons this sometimes happens. Before reading this chapter, I did some self reflection and tried to recall a time I was ever resistant to learning. I came up with nothing but while reading this chapter, my memory was quickly jogged about multiple times throughout high school when I was actively resistant.

It was math and science. (isn't it always?) Throughout my time in high school, I was a solid B+ student with a couple exceptions. Those being science and math (and french for a couple years). My old report cards are actually an interesting read because everything is relatively consistent until you get into the maths and sciences. In all cases, somehow I managed to squeak by.... a 51 final mark or 53. Perhaps it was teachers seeing my frustration and taking pity on me. It was never an issue of not putting in effort. I would show up to class and participate but as the semester went on, I would become more and more lost. The foundational ideas the teachers used at the beginning of the semester were shaky for me and difficult to build on. I would be too scared to seem stupid in putting up my hand and asking them to clarify and by a certain point in the semester I would become completely withdrawn from the class.

I feel it was a coping mechanism. "You can't hurt me if I don't care". I would start a new semester hopeful and be met with the same teaching styles as the previous year. I would quickly lose confidence in my abilities and throw in the towel. "What part of it don't you understand?" was the standard question when I would seek extra help after class and I wasn't even able to answer that question. Teachers would regurgitate verbatim the lesson taught in class, not knowing any other way to teach and I would lie and nod and agree that it's much clearer now (it's not.) Completely lost and stuck in a circus of self-loathing and feeling completely stupid, I would give up.

Many of the reasons Brookfield gives in this chapter, I could attest to personally or have seen as a fellow student in a classroom. The biggest thing I've taken away from this chapter is that sometimes as an educator, it really isn't your fault. You mustn't let it skew your view of yourself and even more so, you shouldn't be dedicating wasted breath on students who are this level of resistant. You will lose every time and neglect the other students who are actually open to learning.