In Their Own Words: ABE Students Talk About Success Strategies

Organizing time

Several of them talked about the need to figure out new ways of organizing their time so that they could balance remote learning with taking care of their children and families at home. They talked about planning meals in advance so that food was ready when someone in the house got hungry. One student, named Jessica, talked about how she gets up two hours early every day to make sure that breakfast and lunch are prepared before she starts her classes. Another student, named Yi, explained how she uses wireless headphones so that she can listen to her teacher giving a lesson while she has her hands free to help her older daughter with school and her younger daughter breastfeed.

Goal setting

Another very strong message was the importance of having a specific goal in mind to help with motivation and persistence. One student talked about wanting to work for the airlines, while another student dreams of becoming a paralegal so that she can help other immigrants like herself. They both talked about how it’s the desire to reach their dreams that keeps them going and prevents them from ever giving up.

After hearing several students talk about how central their goal is to keeping them motivated, I have been thinking about ways to talk about both long- and short-term goal setting with my students. Setting the goal and monitoring progress are both excellent ACES skills that we can revisit.

Interpersonal relationships

On the topic of challenges specific to remote learning, Jessica talked about how much she misses going to class and being in an environment in which everyone is speaking English. She said that it can be hard to practice at home because she and her family mostly speak Spanish. One thing that helps is connecting with her classmates on the phone. She said that they are a tightknit group of students, and they routinely call each other when they need help with their schoolwork.

This made me reflect on the importance of interpersonal relationships, and how we, as teachers, can encourage and support them even during remote learning. Something as simple as suggesting that students create a contact list for their classmates can make a big difference for those who might be suffering from feelings of isolation.

Taking breaks

Finally, I was reminded during my interview with Yi about the importance of encouraging students to take “break breaks” when they are feeling tired or frustrated. She told me that she will get up, move around, and maybe get something to eat when doesn’t understand something, and she gives herself some time to think. She said that after taking a short break, she is usually able to better understand whatever she had been working on.

I think there is power in telling our students that the learning they are doing is sometimes going to be difficult. There might be times when they get frustrated and they want to quit. We need to tell them that’s okay. It is fine to walk away and take a break when needed. What’s important is to let them know that they can, and should, always come back.