[Trainer-Talk] Interesting Facebook Post

[Brian Vogel]

Jim Denham wrote, in part: "yes, we as assistive tech trainers need to
prove our students can perform a task, not just mark it on a report, but
the bigger issue is the student also has to be motivated and want to learn
the skills we are trying to teach."

Unquestionably, yes!!  But, and it's an important one when you're dealing
with adult students (as opposed to being a school teacher), you can, and
should, dismiss students who are clearly unmotivated and do not want to
learn what we've been tasked with trying to teach.

It hasn't happened often, but on several occasions I have dismissed
students.  One said, directly to me (and to her credit, I might add): "I
have no interest in this and I told my counselor that I was not interested."

Whether it's teaching or therapy, if the person receiving is not interested
in participating, and participating actively, no progress will be made.
And when there is no realistic hope of progress (or stopping something from
declining, in certain cases) then there is no reason to waste your time and
effort as well as that of the person you were supposed to be teaching.
It's a two way street, and you cannot ever successfully "force feed"
knowledge and skill.

Brian