The case for micro-assignments
A closer look allows new details to emerge.
When you begin with the belief that everyone wants to learn, it stimulates a lot of high quality problem-solving.
As a teacher, I can’t just write off a student as lazy, disobedient, unintelligent, or unmotivated. If something isn’t working, I see it as my responsibility to find something else that will.
What to do with a student who struggles to turn in work on time (or at all)? Who looks at an assignment and immediately gets overwhelmed?
The solution is micro-assignments.
Many bright students struggle in school because they have difficulty with the volume of work. Sometimes this is due to a learning disability; other times, it’s a maturity issue or simply an ingrained habit.
Some students will dutifully struggle through the work into the wee hours of the morning, while others will ignore it until they get a zero and are no longer expected to complete it.
In each case, micro-assignments can help.
A micro-assignment is one that is designed to avoid triggering frustration on the part of the student. It must be so small and innocuous that it bypasses a student’s usual response to schoolwork.
Ideally, it can also help to identify and address the issue that is causing a diligent student to take forever to complete work.
For a student who is easily frustrated, the assignment might be ridiculously small: One short question that the student is sure to be able to answer correctly. Maybe the name and date are already filled in -- the student just has to do one thing that’s well within his comfort zone. He then goes through the motions of turning it in, perhaps for the first time in weeks. Success!
Then, the student is presented with the next micro-assignment, and the next, each building upon the last. Nothing is overwhelming and nothing is frustrating -- and yet, over time, the volume and difficulty of the work can gently, gradually increase.
This is how my educational programs for kids work: A student builds on success instead of being confronted, again and again, with failure. Under such circumstances, the motivation takes care of itself.
Admittedly, the micro-assignment approach requires a lot of customization and may not be an option in the traditional classroom. But for homeschooling families, nontraditional schools, and tutoring, it is very doable. By adapting assignments to the level of a student’s comfort, teacher and student get to enjoy a fun, collaborative learning experience together.
Ironically, a student who has experienced success as a result of micro-assignments will begin to seek out new challenges and express a desire to expand her own ability. It is a joy to see this new confidence emerge as a result of the healing of past educational trauma. It is why I do what I do.
Please reach out if you would like ideas on how a “micro-assignment” curriculum might work for your child.