Am I the Problem?

Over the last 10 years NMT has supported over 1200 young people on their pathway to adulthood and earning their own living.? NMT’s focus is coaching, mentoring, tutoring and supporting young people who have not progressed or achieved in a mainstream setting.? Despite their best efforts those settings (eg: secondary schools) have not been able to provide the education experience that the young person needs.? I always point out that the lack of progress and achievement is no one’s fault, the mainstream settings do an incredible job given the challenges they face and the diversity of learner needs.?

That said, I have been vocal on one point, that too many young people referred to an NMT centre believe their education has so far failed because they are the problem.? They leave their mainstream setting with this belief and not simply because 90% of the rest of the students are progressing and achieving.? They arrive believing “I must be the issue”, “it must be me that is failing”, or “I am the problem”.???

Yet, my experience enabling young people over the last 9 years demonstrates otherwise and the ability to learn, to progress and achieve is evident and often strong in many young people who go on to achieve and progress at our centres.? This is in part down to our system of learning, which is different from that offered at a mainstream setting and includes lower classroom numbers and a higher ratio of tutors to learners.???

Mainstream schools do a fantastic job, but young people should not be leaving their settings believing they cannot learn, and they are the problem when it comes to making progress and achieving.? Our core focus when they arrive at an NMT centre is on convincing them that their inability to progress and achieve to-date is not a permanent fixture.? The young people consistently give examples of “what my teacher said to me” and while the teacher comments are meant to be helpful, they often have the reverse effect.? Why is this the case?? I have come to believe it is down to a lack of understanding of the difference between Positive and Negative Reinforcement.?

For example, a young person may express to a mainstream teacher what they wish to pursue in their career and, based young person testimony, the teachers often reply – “well you better knuckle down and pass your English and Maths, otherwise you won’t be able to do that”.? I am very confident the teacher’s goal is to motivate the young person, but such comments often have the reverse impact.? The above comment is a form of Negative Reinforcement, if you don’t achieve this, you won’t achieve that.? How the sentence is said is also important, if it is said with a harsh matter of fact tone, the young person could well feel the teacher doesn’t believe they can achieve the results they need to.? So, how could the sentence be rephrased so that it is an example of positive reinforcement?? By stating “that is a great aspiration and by working hard like you are, you will achieve that goal”.???

At NMT our mantra is positive reinforcement all the way and every time.? Positive Reinforcement’s initial impact is often emotional, the young people feel someone believes in them, gets them, understands them.? Through repeated loops of positive reinforcement, young people start to feel a sense of optimism they can achieve and progress just like everyone else.??

The most useful aspect of positive reinforcement is that it can be deployed throughout the teaching day.? Small positive reinforcement statements (eg: thanks for being ready to work, thanks for being on time, good job, thanks for listening, thanks for such a useful question, etc) shape the atmosphere of the room, the lesson and significantly increase the chance positive learning will result.?