Teaching Gen Z

Recently, I watched a webinar as part of a PD workshop, hosted by the community college where I adjunct, that explored Gen Z learners. With a decade already come and gone, I have seen the Millennial generation matriculate through the school system. Replaced by Gen Z,  it has been easy to forget that society and my students' perspectives on it differ from their predecessors. As technology and our world evolves, so too do our students. While both Millennials and Gen Zers have similar characteristics and levels of proficiency with the types of technological communication that interests them (Note: They hate email.), there are some distinct differences. My mother has always told me, much to my chagrin, that children are the products of their parents. Parental viewpoints, values, and perspectives significantly impact how a child engages with and view the world in which they. Millenials have young Baby Boomer parents that grew up in a golden age in which the American Dream was thriving, and hard work seemingly paid off. Inherently, Millenials, the generation I am a part of seeks connections with others through many platforms, deeply values collaboration and dreams of work-life balance (or work-life harmony as I like to call it). Our curiosity and connectedness have made us overly optimistic, a characteristic that is now being deemed as toxic when taken too far. The list of characteristics about Millenials continue to occupy the headlines, perpetuating the idea that we are all spoiled and seek instant gratifications.

Millenials have gotten a bad rap. These headlines bashing Millenials frustrate me to no end. The idea that Millenials are lazy, still living at home, and love to eat avocado toast while drinking Starbucks lattes is mostly inaccurate. I must admit I indulge in a coffee after only getting four hours of sleep because I was working my side hustle (adjuncting at an awesome community college) the night before, but according to media headline, I'm still lazy and probably feel a little too entitled to that morning cup of joe. Entering the workforce in the great recession of 2008, in a time when work landscapes are radically shifting to consultation work and remote offices, has led to Millenials struggling to pay off excessive student debt and seek alternative types of employment. Still, Millenials remain incredibly open-minded and tend to view the world with slightly rosier glasses than their Gen X and Gen Z counterparts. I'll refrain from unleashing a verbal deluge about how Millenials never asked for participation trophies or demanded smartphones. In spite of the negativity thrown at my cohort on this planet, I see my generation using social media platforms and technology to rewrite the narrative on what the definition of the American Dream actually is and how it can be achieved.

Now that the youthfulness of Millenials has passed on to a new class of humans, I seek to understand and recognize the new population with my classroom and identify what motivates Gen Z. At first glance, they look like Millenials - tech-savvy and ready to use social media to document their lives, yet they are showing a decline in optimism. Considering issues such as global climate change, natural disasters, and the political climate, I am not surprised by this information, but recognizing the more realistic, "tell it like it is" attitude of the next generation does cause me to stop and reflect on my teaching practices and how I view their behavior. Remembering that our world continues to evolve at rapid rates, it is critical as a teacher that I identify how and why these changes impact my current students. Again I return to my mother's belief that children are a product of their parents. Gen X, the grunge-loving, slightly more cynical generation who values work-place independence are now raising these Gen Zers. Their children will reflect their desire to save money and work autonomously. With this iteration of students and their tech-savvy skills, it's time to insert blended learning and flexible scheduling opportunities.

Recently I read Start Something That Matters by TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, a book that addresses the desire to use for-profit companies to engage in nonprofit ventures. This theory of using one's professional platform to participate in more philanthropic pursuits is one that this generation is and will adopt in their futures. When they believe in a cause, their motivation increases tenfold, and they are willing to use their digital resources to share their thoughts openly. Student motivation has been down lately and perhaps technology is to blame or increasing levels of anxiety that is the result of numerous factors (including ACEs, pressure to perform, economic disparity, violence, social and political issues, etc.). Whatever the reason, my goal is to deliver my best Jaime Escalante impression and reach these kids.

Teaching a room full of repeat freshmen this summer has challenged me to reflect on student motivation. A few days ago, I ended up on my Sukow soapbox and started preaching about developing literacy and communication skills that will make the remainder of their high school experience more successful as they develop a strong sense of self-efficacy. (I wasn't handed a ribbon, but I did receive a round of applause. Thanks for the metaphorical gold star, kids!) When students improve their reading skills, they inherently become better writers. When they develop their writing skills, they naturally become better speakers with some encouragement to face their speech anxiety. These skills are interdependent and are the foundation for any future pursuit - academic, personal, and professional.

While I am still new in exploring generational studies and how that impacts classroom learning, I have drawn a few initial nuggets of knowledge.


1. Gen Z prefers to work individually. 

As offices turn digital and require more remote work, this generation seeks autonomy, although they are highly driven by relationships. Working alongside others instead of directly with others is a more efficient way to complete work. Although the webinar I recently completed and some of my initial readings suggests that this generation still values and is motivated by their relationships. Perhaps a blended-learning model would be most desirable for these students as it would allow them to meet and engage with others face-to-face but also work independently and at their own pace.


2. Students in this generation are more invested in projects that are broken into smaller tasks and want to feel a sense of accomplishment along the way. 

Gamification and badging are both strategies that may drive these students who are motivated by their sense of accomplishments. Direct feedback after completing a step in a greater project or assignment motivate these students to continue working, and the latter seems like a great educational practice. Giving students more feedback before a test or a summative is collected is the best way to help their revise, grow, and cultivate critical skills. Creating mastery pathways and using learning management systems to personalize the learning experience can help students to work at their own pace while accomplishing specific curriculum-based tasks. I'm still not sold on badging or how that could possibly motivate students, but I suppose everyone likes a sticker to put on their Chromebooks, right?



3. When learning is directly relevant and related to their interests, they will work. Hard. 

Student motivation seems to be lacking as of late, although I doubt this is a groundbreaking problem. The phrase "kids these days" has been used for generations. I propose that if we reframe how we view our frustrations with "kids these days," we can empower both our students and ourselves to be more proactive, productive, and positive (Sorry, I can't seem to shake my Millenial optimism). In the book Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World by Tim Elmore, student-apathy is addressed. By tapping into students' passion, we can encourage them to take control of their educational pursuits. Providing student choice, blending classroom experiences, and encouraging students to choose their independent books or research topics are not new concepts, but finding ways to update the curriculum using these teaching practices is still crucial. When our students seem to lack motivation, there are multiple factors at play. Perhaps social-emotional obstacles are in the way, or there is a gap in prior knowledge to be able to engage with the current curriculum, whatever the reason might be, we must continue to reflect as teachers and adapt when possible to provide students with learning experiences that will spark their motivational fire.


4. Gen Z needs to be challenged to be content creators not just side-line consumers. 

Consuming digital media is a constant in students' lives. They are plugged into YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and the ever-evolving list of social platforms (such as TikTok) continue to occupy their free (and even not so free) hours. Instead of allowing students to be passive consumers of content, they should devote their time to networking, engaging, and creating through the platforms that are most comfortable to them. By navigating the interwebs effectively, they can learn and hone their skills; they can find their voices. While students need direct instruction in digital citizenship, especially since their digital footprints are permanent, learning to develop their brand and foster relationships that could be professionally beneficial to them in the future is a critical part of their world.

Note: My daughter, the three-year-old vlogger, is preparing her first TED Talk as I write this.

I still have much to learn, but I am hopeful that with a deeper understanding of the successors to the Millenial generation, I can continue to adapt and revise my teaching practices in ways that provide my students with greater access to learning, autonomy, and a sense of empowerment. My biggest takeaway from what I have learned thus far is that change is the only constant in education and life. We must be observant, seek understanding, and not be afraid to experiment with what works in the classroom.

If anyone has resources or books to read on Teaching Gen Z, please share!