Since August 2006 our St Marnock's Primary 1 Parents' Group have been involved in Motivation Workshops with Alan McLean, the author of the Motivated School, Heidi Fawcett, headteacher and Maureen Nugent, class teacher.
At the beginning we were very unsure of what to expect and what the workshops would involve. All of us were worried about being judged as parents and were frightened of the unknown. We were also reluctant to share our own ideas, experiences or opinions in front of others. In addition, would there be consequences for our children within the classroom; would they be judged on how well we motivated them at home?
The aim and title of the programme was "Helping Our Children Want to Learn". At some points throughout the weeks we felt confused, overwhelmed and wanted a quick solution. But we soon realised that this was a journey and we were just beginning.
The original title of the programme was '"The Motivated Parent", but since we were focusing on the child the title "The Motivated Child" was born. This removed the concerns about parents feeling as if they were being judged.
As the workshops evolved we started to think more about our own actions, rather than those of the children, and how these actions impacted on our children at home. We discussed actions which can help situations and also actions which do not help situations. These became our general parental dos and don'ts.
We have all enjoyed the workshops and we feel that we have gained understanding, knowledge and the confidence to try out alternative approaches when dealing with difficult situations at home.
There have been two outcomes of the programme so far. Firstly we have produced a parent friendly handbook. Secondly we decided to invite other parents from St Marnock's to an evening event at the end of November. At this event we shared our experiences and knowledge of the childrens' basic need for a sense of belonging, trust and self-belief. General parental do's and don'ts were highlighted, as were the basic learning stances and stance specific do's and don'ts. Our evening was extremely well attended and all the parents reported that the event was useful and enjoyable. Many teachers also attended the evening and they found the programme comprehensive and stimulating.
Our next step is to start a monthly M.O.T. parent support group for any parent who wishes to develop techniques to motivate their children. This work is closely linked to classroom lessons with primary 5, 6 and 7 pupils.
For further information contact St Marnock's Primary School (0141 882 1915).