Glasser’s Choice Theory
In understanding the needs of students in the classroom, educators must continuously be aware of the strategies available for them to decipher the practices applicable. Recognizing the myriad of theories that denote on issues such as motivation and learning, there must be a continued commitment among educators to apply specific tenets and concepts that can maximize students’ potential and ability to acquire skills and information. One possible approach that this can be used revolves around William Glasser’s Choice theory.
Under this idea, it stipulates the relevance of an individual in his/her development of perception towards motivation. One vital element that the theory posits is where the concept of motivation originates. Personal Resources Development mentions that “A central aspect of Choice Theory is the belief that we are internally, not externally motivated” (p. 1). This innate behavior is the determined by our individual needs and desires. As Personal Resources Development argues, “these perceptions become the standard for behavioral choices” (p. 1) that in turn stimulate us on the way we create decision making processes.
Dwelling into the behavioral component of the theory, Glasser asserts the relevance of total behavior in the choice advocated by individuals. William Glasser institute points out that “all Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the acting and thinking components; we can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly through how we choose to act and think” (p. 1). It is through this that he mentions several important facets of total behavior namely (1) acting, (2) thinking, (3) feeling and (4) physiology (William Glasser institute, p. 1).
Lastly, the theory also adheres to addressing the needs of individuals by looking into factors that makes this possible. William Glasser Institute mentions that “in practice, the most important need is love and belonging, as closeness and connectedness with the people we care about is a requisite for satisfying all of the needs” (p. 1). Recognizing the different issues surrounding our classroom environment such as limited motivation for students, low achievement scores and inability of subject content to connect to students, I as an educator have the task to ensure that students get the most out of their educational experience.
At the same time, I must be responsive to their needs and cultivate them to create appreciation and greater responses. Operating on Glasser’s theory, one way to achieve connected with the subject matter is by creating new programs that can make each student participate and experience the topic. For example, History teachers can initiate museum visits to increase appreciation. Likewise, engaging in interactive programs such as group works and presentations can help students realize their worth in the classroom and not always rely on the instructor in providing the necessary information.
Similarly, to boost student achievement, I must continuously operate and find mechanisms that will support and encourage students. In here, active communication must be established by an educator wherein there are facilitative responses that can generate feedbacks and student opinions not only in the way the subject is instructed but also on means that can generate greater outcomes. Instead of criticizing, the educator must create an environment wherein students can feel a sense of belongingness and connectedness with each other.
By doing this, it can lead to outcomes that can enhance motivation and encourage greater competency. Lastly, the values such as trust, negotiation and communication are incorporated within the subject curriculum. These elements are necessary so as to foster the required parameters for a classroom that is administrative and adaptive to change. Recognizing the increasing challenges in today’s educational system, I must remain vibrant to existing conditions and operate on making students what truly matters most. It is neither the amount of information we are willing to give or their relative test scores.
Rather, it is their ability to create an active environment for linking and correlating the concepts from education towards their daily lives that truly matters. Seeking this objective, I can facilitate new avenues towards not only learning via the content provided but in a holistic and encompassing way. Works Cited Personal Resources Development. Choice Theory. 2006 accessed 18 May 2009 from, <http://www. choicetheory. com/ct. htm> William Glasser Institute. Choice theory. 2009 accessed 18 May 2009 from <http://www. wglasser. com/index. php? option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27>
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