Getting the Bumps Off the Log

Motivational Strategies

Setting Up EVERY Student for Success

Warm-up

Describe a motivational strategy you use that is effective for your students.

Pre-Assessment Pre-AssessmentReview / skim the “Pre-Assessment Strategies” document. Create a pre-test that could be used for the lesson you brought to class 2 weeks ago OR an upcoming lesson.

Read “The Benefits of Pre-Testing.” Make a list of reasons why pre-tests are important.

Differentiation Differentiation

Review / skim the “Differentiation Strategies” document. Reflect on the lesson you brought to class 2 weeks ago. Evaluate whether or not you have effectively differentiated the instruction. Add differentiation where appropriate.

Read the “Differentiation Strategies” document. Choose 2 strategies to try in your class within the next week. Explain how you plan to use each one.

Extension Menu Extension MenuReview / skim the “Pre-Assessment and Extension Menus” document. Create an extension menu for the lesson you brought to class 2 weeks ago OR an upcoming lesson.

Read the “Pre-Assessment and Extension Menus” document. Create an extension menu using the template for the lesson you brought to class 2 weeks ago OR an upcoming lesson.

Dear Journal,

You wouldn’t believe my classes today! Karina told me the class was boring, and boring, and more boring. Tim hadn’t done any of the homework and he couldn’t participate in the reading discussion. Arthur’s behavior was intolerable; he wouldn’t even pick up the book. I had to shake MacKenzie’s desk to wake her up. Then she said, “Sorry miss…” … I’m not sure the students even know my name! I spend so much time planning my lessons, and then they sit there like bumps on a log…

Personal GoalIdentify specific students in your classes who you feel are unmotivated. Write their names on the lily pad.

ObjectivesObjectives• To discuss student identified characteristics which contribute to student motivation..

• To share strategies for motivating students

• To encourage reflection upon the strategies introduced and consider how to incorporate selected strategies in the classroom

• Share accommodation strategies used in your classroom

Top 6 characteristics that emerge as major contributors to student motivation:

Instructor Enthusiasm

Relevance of the Material

Active involvement of students

Variety

Rapport between teacher and students

Use of concrete, and understandable examples

Davis, Barbara Gross. (1999). “Motivating Students.” Berkeley, California. From Tools for Teaching: Jossey-Bass. http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv.htm

Personal GoalContributors to Motivation:

• Instructor's enthusiasm • Relevance of the material • Active involvement of

students • Variety • Rapport between teacher

and students • Use of appropriate,

concrete, and understandable examples

Look at your lily pads.

Which of the contributors do you hope to learn more about in order to improve your students’ motivation?

Why I love What I Teach….

With your RIBBIT partner, discuss why you love the subject area you teach…

Teacher Enthusiasm

• Demonstrate the joys of your curriculum… talk about why you love it…

• Get into character (Language Arts)• • • • •

Homeowner’s Insurance PolicyRead the scenario about the homeowner’s insurance policy.

Find the person who has a different frog that you do.

Engage in discussion about the scenario and it’s relevance to student motivation.

Relevance of the Material• Cue student to relevance

– “The next topic is something we will use again and again. It contains valuable ideas that

we’ll use throughout the later sections of the course.”

– “As you work through the notes section, I think that you’ll be pleasantly surprised how relevant it is.”

– “A lot of you have asked me about X. Well, finally we’re going to find out why that’s so.”

• • • • •

BCR Madness

Variety is the Spice of Life

What do you do to “stop the madness?”What do you do to “stop the madness?”

•

•

•

•

•

Rapport between Teacher and Student

I want teachers who are real people, who recognize me as a human being -- teachers who care about me -- not just my test performance.

-- High School Student

A

aa

Develop Teacher-Student Rapport

• Send letters home before school or a new semester starts

• Discover one bit of positive information about the person and comment on it.

•

•

•

•

Origami Frog

Using the origami paper provided, follow the directions to make an origami frog.

1. Fold in half along a diagonal and open again.

2. Fold the other diagonal.

3. Fold the corners to the top.

4. Fold the points down.

5. Fold the two points to the sides.

6. Open the mouth, turn over, and you’re done!

What were your feelings as you

attempted to create your origami frog?

What were you thinking while

working?

This is a silent activity.This is a silent activity.

Appropriate, clear, and concise examples

• Diagrams

• Model responses

•

•

•

•

Closure

Think about the students you selected for your lily pad.

Write a reflection in your binder about how you can motivate this/these students, based on what you’ve learned today.

Turn to your neighbor and tell him or her,

“Thanks for taking the leap with me!”

Have an awesome day

and

thanks for sharing!

• Plan a co-taught lesson with co-teacher using the planning form. After implementing the lesson, write a reflective journal entry about the lesson. (focus should be on aligning curriculum and students’ IEP goals)

• To submit: Reflective journal entry (minimum of one page typed- AND completed, co-teaching form in week 7 of Wiki

For next class…