Everyone loves the satisfaction of solving problems, but some people are either not very good problems solvers or they simply want someone else to do the problem solving. A good management tip for teachers or even for corporate managers is to try and create situations in which problems must be solved. The trick is to balance work toward solving the problem with the frustration of not being able to solve the problem. If you can feed tidbits of assistance to the would be problem solver, you’re likely to get them motivated enough to continue. It’s a rare person who doesn’t find satisfaction from solving a problem, however difficult.
Recently, working with a young man who insisted that he couldn’t solve a problem and who insisted that I was derelict for not just giving ” answer,” I sat with him and suggested a couple of directions for solving one part of the problem he was work on. This particular young man had a history of unwillingness to put in any effort on a lot of things, problem solving being one of the most significant. My using a piece by piece approach and a little encouragement, he was able to solve a small part of the problem. Just that little success – something he rare experienced – motivated him enormously. “See, you can do it,” I said. And he could and did with great pride. It turned out to be a breakthrough moment – a sudden increase in confidence. Good teachers work for these moments and relish them.
