How Do We Motivate Children?

Hello

I am Todd Stanley

I have been in education for over 25 years. I also have written 2 books on student motivation.

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You can find me at:

@the_gifted_guy

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What are some extrinsic motivators that we use in schools?

Offer of rewards

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Praise

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Behavior charts

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Premack Principle

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Extra recess

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Incentives

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Titles

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Classroom responsibilities

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Grades

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Honor Roll

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Time out

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Homework pass

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Dress down or up days

• For question #1 turn to the person to your left or right.
• For question #2 turn to the person behind or in front of you.
• For question #3 get out of your seat and talk to someone from across the room.

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Turn and Talk 360°

Questions to Ponder

1. What motivates you as a person?
2. What is one of the most profound learning experiences you had in school? What did it look like?
3. Do you think you are more motivated by extrinsic or intrinsic factors?

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Goal Valuation

Student Type 1

Important

Interesting

Attainable

Student Type 2

Important

Interesting

Attainable

Student Type 3

Important

Interesting

Attainable

1.

Interests

What is the student interested in? Doesn’t have to be tied strictly to content. Could be the process or product as well.

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"Interest refers to student’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill." ~ Carol Ann Tomlinson

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2.

Independent Learners

Are we giving students the fish or are we teaching them how to do it?

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“Engagement is more about what you can do for your students.

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Empowerment is about helping students to figure out what they can do for themselves.

- George Couros, The Innovator’s Mindset

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3.

Intellectually Stimulating

We often make our lessons academically challenging but how much are students having to think? Higher level questioning engages the mind and stimulates it.

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Difference Between Hard and Rigorous

• Hard: the answer is not common knowledge and would require a certain amount of study or exposure in order to know it. Relies on lower level thinking such as memorization and recall.
• Example: Who is the 22^th Vice-President of the United States?
• Rigor: commonly applied to questions that encourage students to question their assumptions and think at a higher level.
• Example: Who do you think has been a successful Vice-President?

Scaffolding Bloom’s

• Remember – What are items used by Goldilocks while she was in the Bears’ house?
• Understand – Explain why Goldilocks liked Baby Bear’s chair the best.
• Apply –What would Goldilocks use if she came to your house.
• Analyze – Compare this story to reality. What events could not really happen?
• Evaluate – Judge whether Goldilocks was right for entering the Bears’ house. Defend your opinion.
• Create – Imagine how the story would change if Goldilocks found the door to the Bear’s house locked.

Using the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears

4.

Inquiry

Are you tapping into the curiosity that students possess? Are they learning because they want to or because they have to?

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5.

Importance

How authentic is the learning in your classroom? What does it have to do with them? Do you give them a reason to care about what they are learning?

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Bonus.

I Care

Do your students think that you care about what you are teaching them? Do they think that you care about them?

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The “CARING” factor

• “You’ve got to Maslow before you can Bloom.”

Strategies for showing your students you care about your teaching

1. Presume competence. 
2. Provide appropriate learning materials.
3. Be prepared.
4. Support struggles and enrichment.
5. Give responsibilities. 
6. Show your love for the subject.
7. Share your efforts.
8. Give choice.
9. Be dependable
10. Reflect upon your own experiences.�

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Strategies for showing students you care about them

1. Greet your students every day.
2. Acknowledge their presence. 
3. Make reference to things that are relevant in their lives. 
4. Ask questions about their lives.
5. Share things about your life.
6. Make praise meaningful. 
7. Avoid sarcasm
8. Be present
9. Use kind words
10. Say good-bye at the end of the day. �

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Ideas for motivating students to learn

1. Brain teasers
2. Cognitive games
3. STEM challenges
4. MakerSpace
5. High interest projects
6. 20time

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STATION 1

• Brain Teasers
• Rebus
• Logic Puzzle
• Sudoku
• Riddles
• Cryptograms

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STATION 2

• Cognitive games
• Scattegories
• Code Names
• Blokus
• Five Crowns
• Chess

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STATION 3

• STEM Challenges
• Problem solving
• Use them all interchangeably
• Teach failure and grit
• Promote teamwork

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Using 20 pieces of paper build a free standing structure as tall as you can make it

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Can manipulate the paper any way you see fit but may only use the paper

STATION 4

• Four Corners Projects
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• ELA
• Cross-curricular

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STATION 5

• 20time
• Student interest
• Passion
• Choice in product
• Reflection

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20time

Complete the suggestions below to help you to develop an idea for your 20time project.

I could build:

I could research:

I could talk to this person about my problem:

I could create this to solve a problem:

I could start a fundraiser by:

I could write:

I could use technology to:

I could develop a plan to improve…:

I could investigate:

I could solve:

STATION 6

• MakerSpace
• Let’s students be creative
• Doesn’t have to be directed
• Just need to provide space and materials

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Station Rotations

• Count off by 6s
• Will have 5 minutes at each of the stations
• Engage in the stations and the activities there for you
• You can choose to work by yourself or collaborate depending on the activities at the station
• Will reflect when the rotations are finished

Reflection

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Motivation

If you build it, they will come.

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Simple Formula for Motivation

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Make their experiences authentic

Personalize the learning

Show them you care

Todd Talks

Short video tutorials on strategies for working with gifted students

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Thanks

Any questions?

You can find me at:

@the_gifted_guy

thegiftedguy@yahoo.com

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