Being aware of the attibutions I make for my students will help me be a better teachers by forcing me to reflect on my work as an instructor. By looking at the behaviours, comments, and results of students, I will be better able to redesign my lessons to meet their needs. By following the 4 causal factors, I can learn where I may to place a bit more effort in my teaching.

 

For example, if I notice that my student,  Saleem, is consistently doing poorly on his math assignments, I can look to the four causal factors that might be influencing his grades. First of all, I will look at his ability. I will ask myself whether or not Saleem has the abilities to complete the problem. If he does not, I need to work on my instruction and find the best way for him to acquire the necessary abilities. This may be accomplished with shaping techniques or increased scaffolding. If however, despite having the abilities, Saleem is still doing poorly, then we need to look at alternative methods of motivation.

Next, I can examine the effort he puts into his work. If I notice that he decides not to complete math problems without even trying or puts in minimal effort, I need to look again to make sure it is not too difficult for him and that he has the proper supports. Further, students will typically try harder at something they find interesting, so I need to work with Saleem to make his work seem appealing to him. I can accomplish this by presenting him with multiple choices when it comes to assessment. On the other hand, if I notice Saleem consistently trying hard and still coming short, we need to look at giving him a bit more instruction or support, possibly in an alternative format, such as a video instead of a textbook.

Next, we need to ensure that the work he is doing is within his zone of proximal development. That is, the work cannot be neither too difficult nor too easy, it must be able to be accomplished with some assistance. If the work is too difficult, Saleem will lose all motivation and self-esteem and become frustrated. If his work is too easy, he will again lose all motivation and become increasingly bored. To stay within his zone of proximal development, we need to devise tasks that he can accomplish with some assistance, either from myself or peers, that will consistently push him towards greater understanding.

Finally, and perhaps the most difficult to understanding, is the luck factor. From my understanding, luck will have to be evaluated on a situational basis. We can avoid "lucky" assessments by designing projects that assess what the learner does know, rather than what the learner does not. For Saleem, I would have him tell me what he can do, and assess him based on that and based on how far he has grown. 

 

To account for all these loci of attributions, I will attempt to implement Project-Based Learning as often as I can. With the necessary abilities, PBL will allow my students to show me what they can do, as opposed to what they cannot do. Additionally, PBL gives the students choice in their learning, another way to keep motivation high. This Edutopia article has everything I need to get started with PBL. Videos, blogs, articles, even a Pinterest board, you name it! Specifically, one blog post outlines the necessities for PBL. My PBL classroom has to feel safe for students to try and succeed (and fail), it has to work with my students, and it has to be open to new ideas and suggestions. Following this small tips will ensure that my classroom is PBL ready and the whole Edutopia section will be invaluable as I progress in my career.