We've all experienced it. You sign up for something that you're initially really excited about, a new career program, a rec league sports team or an Indigenous languages course. Then the day comes and umph! You're stuck, you don't want to go, you're nervous about the new environment. You want to back out, you debate the validity of your choices... do you go?
"The ground zero of resistance to learning is the fear of change" (Brookfield, p.213). Should we then be surprised when, as educators, our students drag their figurative and sometimes literal heels to complete course activities and participate?
As a massage therapy instructor, this experience is so relatable and one that I struggle to not take too personally. Brookfield affirms this experience when he writes that, "at a deep level we really have no idea why they would not want to learn the thing that we find so interesting. We register analytically that they’re having problems but in our soul it is completely incomprehensible that anyone would resist learning something that produces such joy in our own life" (p214).
The most common instances of student resistance that I encounter are when they are asked to practice their massage routine on a specific condition, which is a preparation for their practical exams, but they treat whatever a classmate prefers. How then do we as instructors guide them to try new things in a way that is not parenting, demeaning or demanding?
For me the key is in understanding the why of their resistance. Brookfield offers several suggestions including poor self-image, fear of the unknown, the normal rhythm of learning (two steps forward, one step back), mismatch of learning and teaching styles, apparent irrelevance of information, level of learning is inappropriate, fear of looking foolish, cultural suicide, lack of clarity in instructor instructions, dislike of teacher, and going too far too fast (2015).
Getting to know your students is the antidote to the clashing of wills. Considering the initial example of our own experiences of resistance, knowing ourselves can be an antidote to resistance. Am I scared of failure? (Yes). Is that why I'm scared of trying this? (Not this time). Do I see a purpose? (No). Is that inhibiting my interest? (Yup)!
So often learning is more about the process of breaking down barriers to create space for sharing rather than forcibly pushing information into students' minds. Readiness to learn must be approached with the same curiosity that we approach the topic of learning itself!
References
Brookfield, Stephen D. The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom. (2015). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
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