There is an extraordinary but largely unnoticed phenomenon in higher education: by and large, students persevere and complete their studies. How should we interpret this tendency? Students are living in uncertain times and often experience anxiety, and yet they continue to press forward with their studies. The argument here is that we should understand this propensity on the part of students to persist through a will to learn. This book examines the structure of what it is to have a will to learn. Here, a language of being, becoming, authenticity, dispositions, voice, air, spirit, inspiration and care is drawn on. As such, this book offers an idea of student development that challenges the dominant views of our age, of curricula understood largely in terms of skill or even of knowledge, and pedagogy understood as bringing off pre-specified ‘outcomes’. The will to learn, though, can be fragile. This is of crucial importance, for if the will to learn dissolves, the student's commitment may falter. Accordingly, more than encouraging an interest in the student's subject or in the acquiring of skills, the primary responsibility of teachers in higher education is to sustain and develop the student's will to learn. This is a radical thesis, for it implies a transformation in how we understand the nature of teaching in higher education.

This book introduces the basic principles of motivation as they apply to classroom learning and management in a readable, non-technical form. Covington argues against the popular notion that the problems existing in schools today stem primarily from a lack of student motivation. Instead, he asserts that students are motivated, sometimes even overly motivated, but often for the wrong reasons. Traditional teaching methods, including conventional grading procedures and an emphasis on competition, can contribute to student demoralization, and Covington identifies the ways in which students respond to misguided incentives. For some students, motivation is directed at avoiding failure by avoiding participation. For others, demoralization leads to withdrawal from an educational system that they believe to be irrelevant to their lives. Still other students are driven to prove their worth by outperforming fellow students. The book suggests practical, concrete ways that teachers can use classroom incentives to inspire a desire to learn.

Do the work. Do it with care. This is a book about love. That is, the active, earnest, and intelligent pursuit of our neighbors’ good. Teachers embody this kind of love; we seek and serve the wholeness of others. At the center of this love lies Dave Stuart Jr.’s philosophy that every teacher of every subject area in our schools has the potential to enrich students’ lives long-term through the power of student motivation. From art and physical education to science and social studies—schools can make good on their promise and this book will show you how. Join Stuart in this personable journey by tackling student motivation through The Five Key Beliefs of credibility, value, effort, efficacy, and belonging Ten strategies for incorporating the Five Key Beliefs into everyday teaching Common struggles for each strategy and how to overcome them A companion website with additional resources, videos, and downloadables Do the work. Do it with care. These inspirational guideposts will help us all build a world in which all schools can be both productive and humane.

The opening of free trade agreements in the 1980s caused major economic changes in Mexico and the United States. These economic activities spawned dramatic social changes in Mexican society. One young Mexican woman, Anay Palomeque de Carrillo, rode the tumultuous wave of these economic activities from her rural home in tropical southern Mexico to the factories in the harsh desert lands of Ciudad Juárez during the early years of the city’s notorious violence. During her years as an education professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, author Elaine Hampton researched Mexican education in border factory (maquiladora) communities. On one trip across the border into Ciudad Juárez, she met Anay, who became her guide in uncovering the complexities of a factory laborer’s experiences in these turbulent times. Hampton here provides an exploration of education in an era of dramatic social and economic upheaval in rural and urban Mexico. This critical ethnographic case study presents Anay’s experiences in a series of narrative essays addressing the economic, social, and political context of her world. This young Mexican woman leads us through Ciudad Juárez in its most violent years, into women’s experiences in the factories, around family and religious commitments as well as personal illness, and on to her achievement of an education through perseverance and creativity.

This book examines the structure of what it is to have a will to learn. Here, a language of being, becoming, authenticity, dispositions, voice, air, spirit, inspiration and care is drawn on. As such, this book offers an idea of student development that challenges the dominant views of our age, of curricula understood largely in terms of skill or even of knowledge, and pedagogy understood as bringing off pre-specified 'outcomes'.

School improvement begins with self-examination and honest dialogue about socialization, bias, discrimination, and cultural insensitivity. The authors acknowledge both the structural and sociological issues that contribute to low-performing schools and offer multiple tools and strategies to assess and improve classroom management, increase literacy, establish academic vocabulary, and contribute to a healthier school culture.