COMPLAINING VS. PROBLEM SOLVING

Homeschooling, Parents, Teachers

www.visuallearningresources.com

All of us have been around another person who complains from time to time. Do you listen to their conversations or interrupt them so you can walk away? Think about the impression these individuals leave behind.

Who is that person that is chronically complaining? Another teacher, parent, students, or is it “you”?

Those who complain tend to conversate through negative talk. Reasons being things didn’t go their way, they form excuses leading to a sense of victimization, or even tear down and blame others for certain circumstances that went awry. Let’s face it, a chronic complainer never views a glass as being half full; their glass is usually approaching empty.

Complaining zaps an individual’s energy. It also tears down one’s self-esteem and confidence. Moreover, complaining brings on excuses where goals are left unachieved.

Stanford University conducted a study that shows those who partake and/or listen to complaining for more than 30 minutes are in jeopardy of altering their brains. The hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and problem solving, shrinks and rewires the brain to draw from negativity.

The opposite of complaining is problem solving. Individuals who learn to problem solve use higher level thinking skills. They work collaboratively with others and contribute valuable information to a group. Their mission is to achieve a goal, working hard to the end.

We, as teachers, have an obligation to teach students to reach their highest potential. As we can see through research, this cannot be accomplished through complaining; in fact, complaining is even detrimental to one’s health.

Have you thought about having a rule “No Negativity”? This will teach students how to be positive while they learn to engage in sound problem solving skills.

Teaching students to problem solve allows the teacher to take a step back from direct teaching and become the facilitator. This will lighten the load to where a teacher can actually gain more teaching time. Not to mention that all students will be engaged and on-task while putting into practice several subjects and skills to problem solve. So, you may ask, “How do I become a facilitator?”

VLR recognizes these changes you may need to make in teaching. That is why we have created our modules to support the many different ways you can successfully build your lessons.

We look at our glass as overflowing and we want the same for you!

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