Unlocking Student Potential

Unlocking Student Potential

The most significant amount of my time, and probably one of the most important things I do, is creating an environment where my students believe they can succeed and where they want to succeed. I understand those who say no one can be motivated by anyone. I understand their reasoning. However, I’m talking about setting the stage where students who are afraid to learn, hate school, or don’t believe in themselves can feel safe and thrive in an educational setting. If that can’t be accomplished, very little learning will occur.   

Most men come in with very diverse recollections of what school was like. School wasn’t cool, and they still had no use for education. Probably up to ninety percent of them despised school, and they certainly disliked authority. In my case, some of my students have an issue with a woman in an authoritative position.

Many of the younger students, and even some of the older ones, don’t understand why they need a GED, need to learn to read, or need to be educated. They believe since they have always had a job or they can get a job, it won’t make a difference in their life whether or not they are educated.

I spend a lot of time selling them on the value of education, what it can mean to them, why they need it, what’s going on in the economy, and what advantages it will give them to go home with an education. From our school, they can also move up to vocational and college programs in the facility. It doesn’t end just with a GED. I am always trying to push lifelong learning.  

When I say “sell,” I don’t mean simply telling them. They have to come to this conclusion on their own. It has to be sold by slowly showing them the advantages of learning. This is done through discussions, posting articles on the bulletin board, and comparing needed job skills from their life experiences. We refer to a wall chart that illustrates every math concept required for each of many careers. There’s always the math lesson that allows the students to compare the lifetime income of non-graduates to high school graduates and college-educated individuals. I share literature that indicates an education makes the inmates less likely to recidivate or return to prison. Some realize they want to help their children. And some even find value in making their parents, grandparents, spouse, or children proud of them. Whatever it takes!

Janice M. Chamberlin, a licensed prison educator in Indiana, is the author of Locked Up With Success. In her book, Ms. Chamberlin shares stories of the challenges she has faced and the triumphs she has seen in the prison classroom setting. She has successfully developed a system that can unlock potential even in the highest-risk students.

Search
Categories
Categories
Archives