The Problem Of Label Children

“This pupil is a slow learner”…“This pupil is poorly motivated”… “This pupil is unmusical.” Is there any value in labelling pupils? Do labels mean anything? How could you create a positive teaching and learning environment in which all pupils are continually achieving? “Great teachers have always understood that the real role is not to teach subjects but to teach students.” Ken Robinson “The Element”

Good students and bad students. Does it really exist? Label children for better or worse can lead to serious consequences for the development of his personality and it affects self-esteem. Tend to label children limits their real possibilities to learn. Their identity is taking shape slowly throughout life. Childhood is a key stage, where our references can influence the pupils hugely, indeed, we can say that as we define them, and according to how we describe their behaviours, the personality will be marked by one or other guidelines. Thus, by labelling a child, he will bring to behave according to the dictates of the label. In the end, he will end up assuming the label, and also the rest of adults and children who know him, and know of the existence of that label, they are likely to be expose to the risk of observing only the behaviour that this label emits. We might think that negative labels (those that censor the child in some aspect of the life, or disapprove any of their behaviours) are the only ones who will affect the child, as they can often lead to a significant drop in esteem. As examples, mentioning the hypothetical underachievement like "you`re a bum" "Do not do anything right", etc.

However, the positive labels, those which approve some aspects too much, abilities or child behaviours can also affect hugely. The act of granting a positive label can be a "double-edged sword" because it could be situations to which the child will not be able to respond as required by the label that has been assigned, coming to experience fear of not living up to what is expected. This experience may also cause the child stress and anxiety, affecting his self-esteem. Within this type of positive labels, we can mention examples such as "You are the best" "You are always outstanding" "You never fail in anything" etc. With all of this, we can say that the assignment of labels will always affect the child and therefore we should prevent the emergence and the implementation thereof. In the classroom we have simultaneously a series of individuals: every student as an independent person and the group. First, you must know the characteristics of students and each individual. We need to know the interests of each students, their claims and possibilities to motivate and enhance their innate abilities. We also need to know the limitations to help overcome them considering that many of them are only in their minds and we have to show it to be overcome. As for the group, each group have its own personality, different from each individual, but not foreign to them. Osmosis between the student and the group occurs, so that the student influences the group and vice versa. For this reason we need to know the group and know how to treat their special personality, without falling into stereotypes, without forgetting the complicity between it and each of its members. Each student is different, and therefore develops differently. Our job is to help, introducing positive thoughts. There is no bad student. In my experience observing teachers and reading books, there is a bad teacher that does not carry out the work of knowledge of their own students. What happens when the teacher forgets that school is a heterogeneous universe?

There are no good or bad students, but children who have not learned to take full advantage. We must remember that not everyone learns in the same way, everyone learns at their own pace and level. So you have to create new contexts to suit the individuality of each student, because we still find some resistance in certain teachers.

Most of the labels to the students, if not all of them, arise due to expectations that people have naturally. Our whole life is full of expectations. In other words, expectations are an assumption focused on the future and based on the performance of another person and expressed with demand. And what is the origin of these and what are its consequences? All human beings have been educated and raised by a society that dictates standards of conduct, rules, punishments, awards, etc. We are shaped into what we are today.

Our personality and behaviour is the product of the environment in which we grew up and therefore developed several masks or personalities to meet the demands imposed by society. In most cases, students live up to the expectations, whether high or low. In this field comes the Pygmalion effect.

This is the effect that the expectations placed on a person and influence the redeeming get it based on a generated expectations. Is the effect always negative? No, it can occur in both directions:

Positive Pygmalion effect: Positive Pygmalion effect refers to one whose expectations are positive, showing the subject that we believe in him. So it causes an increase in self-esteem and the particular aspect.

Negative Pygmalion effect: Negative Pygmalion effect refers to one whose expectations are negative. Teacher does not believe in the pupil and lets him know it (through words or gestures), which causes a decrease in the pupil`s self-esteem and his perception of value. A good teacher should always have positive expectations of their students. But as I said above, students are different, and we should not have the same expectations between one student or another.

Since 1964 there have been numerous investigations into the influence of teachers expectations in both performance and behaviour of students. Everything points to the conclusion that teachers` expectations are one of the most powerful factors in the academic achievement of their students. So, if a teacher expects good results from their students, student achievement will approach much more to their actual capacity (Self fulfilling prophecy).

A person is not born being a good or bad student, but educational opportunities are uneven for some people, and also, the expectations placed on them. Therefore, it would be expected that the educational system stop trying the same patterns in terms of achieving the learning expectations of their students. They should open another space, other possibilities, taking into account individual differences, and work primarily favouring their potential, based on what they know and not what they can not do, or their difficulties. Reversing this situation from the music school is a complex task, because it does not involve only the child but the whole family group so parents can: accompany them when doing practicing, get involved with music stuff, praise their efforts above results, feed their interest and create them some new. Also, we should teach them to ask when they do not understand, no fear of making mistakes, to aware that nothing helps much to overcome an obstacle, such as the tenacity to keep trying.

I believe that a positive environment promotes effective learning. The teacher should create learning conditions in which all students can achieve the objectives. Methods of group learning and support of parents can be useful and helpful for this. The teacher, like other professionals, need and requires a certain conditions to carry out their teaching properly. Students also need a good atmosphere in the classroom to develop their skills and get a proper learning process. Therefore teachers must carry out a process of reflection on key improvement and development of appropriate strategies to achieve the objective. Interpersonal relations between teacher-student are very relevant and is considered a key element in managing the classroom. Thus, the teacher-student relationship is a key motivation. The environment must provide security and confidence, so that students know that they must work, but conviviality.

I always thought that we have to implement strategies such as: - You must admit the mistake as integral parts of learning. - Do not create situations of distress and fear and do not use threats. Learning should not be based on the exam. - You should try to structure learning by providing information and orientation, using the Simultaneous Learning.

It is clear that empathy can enhance emotional transfer between teachers and students through two skills: emotional tune (capture emotional states from outside) and emotional irradiation (transmit own emotional states to others). Based on my experiences and books I`ve read during this months (The Virtuoso Teacher and The music Teacher`s companion), I propose the following strategies: - Know how pupils see us. - Active observation to the pupils. - Maintain informal conversations with pupils. - Working together: What can we do to fix this? - Check your own communication style. - Finish the lesson in a friendly and kind manner.

The aim is to maintain the natural curiosity of students and encourage their pleasure alive by incorporating new knowledge, because there is no method of study that is effective for an unmotivated student. Therefore, more than anything, what is urgently needed is to motivate. Motivation is what leads a person to implement an action. That is stimulating the desire to learn. We must ensure that is sufficiently motivated and that there are no major obstacles in their learning process. In this process we can not forget that above all, we are dealing with a human being, someone who feels, suffers and can have his moments of disappointment or discouragement. It should be clear that the new material presented in class actually contains new elements. Even with the this they already know, it is necessary that the subject of review is always presented in new contexts. To do this, teaching methods should be varied, and have to surprise the student. Humour and fun in class make students get distracted and relax.

From my experience I have seen that students retain better the contents, when they learn within the context of a story or situation. One of my students had to play a minuet of Boccherini, and did not understand the rhythm of 3/4. I started to tell the story of Boccherini, and for whom they wrote the works at that time. People danced in court this kind of dances. I made a demonstration of dancing a minuet, while playing the cello. He did not stop smiling. Then, I told him to try. He had to think of a large room of a Palace, a big party, and all the guests dancing the music he played. Quickly, the student understood the rhythm of the dance instantly.

Usually, when we start teaching a musical instrument to a child, in my case the cello, we find a lively and excited student to get started, even eager to be able to play a song they like, either "Happy Birthday" with a fairly simple melody, or something much more complex, which is known from a television commercial. Therefore, at first, it is not difficult to have motivation in students to start learning. The hardest thing about motivation is not to have it, but to keep it, especially taking into account that learning to play the cello, like any other musical instrument, it is a long, slow and progressive task where patience and constancy is needed. For this reason, there are many things that can make it go shrinking: not understanding some concepts, can reach the point of not understanding anything classes become routine the fact that the child is not seeing progress or results... If this is happening, the first step is to realise it, and then find out the reason or reasons why the child is losing or has lost motivation.

Whichever the reason is why students are losing interest in music lessons, we should try to recover such interest promptly. Most of the times that children are gradually losing the interest, tend to be very shy children who struggle to manifest when they do not understand something even if they are in a private lesson alone with the teacher. However, when this happens, you should try to ask directly after each explanation if the pupil has understood. Moreover, I like giving the explanations several times and, if possible, in different ways, so, in some way, they can understand what is said. Always, after each explanation, we must ensure that it has been understood, asking or even giving examples when needed. Still, the most important thing in these cases is to feel comfortable, behaving in the most natural and spontaneous way with the child to lose that shyness or simply to get their confidence.

Therefore, it is very important to know each student, ask how he`s doing, showing the interest in the things they do and the things they enjoy, etc.

Talking about this, it comes to my head a student whose favourite singer was David Bisbal. This student was hyperactive, who always talked to me about her school, her friends and always try to waste the time. I remember the first time I walked into her room, and just looked around and saw photos of the singer everywhere. I must admit I did not know that singer very well, so what I did was start a conversation: Cool! Do you like Bisbal, don`t you?, I do not know much about him. How many songs does he have? What is your favourite?, can you show it to me? Since then, I started to gain her attention and confidence and, after a while, I researched, and I took a score from one of his best well known songs and adapted it to cello. Imagine what was her reaction when she saw it. The problem that lessons become a routine is something that can happen very easily. I insist that we must know well the tastes of the pupil, because that knowledge about them is what will give us the ideas of those things we can do in the lessons.

As a result, we always keep their attention, connecting with the music, and getting the best out of them. In a nutshell, it is true that some students are more willing and motivated to learn than others. Those who have not yet acquired the habit and commitment (of learn an instrument could become less motivated, if they feel neglected or rejected. Encourage students is a task of great importance for the teacher. Their small achievements must be taken into consideration to stimulate them and make them believe that "they can". The quality of good and bad student is not innate but is constructed. Conversely, a good student may change if they do not feel encouraged, if they suffer bullying or they have personal problems... Each change must be observed by the teacher to be addressed on time with his intervention.

I would like to finish this essay with a quote by Albert Einstein that I have always in my mind: It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. In my own words, teaching must be something that can be received as a gift and not as an obligation. Education is not only an act of acquiring information, but a possibility of interaction, communication and critical thinking. Education must be a way for students to express their ideas, asking why things happen, and to share or exchange information with other students and teachers.