Motivating the Reluctant Learner Practical strategies and ideas to engage and motivate all learners Scott P. Dunn Laura E. Tinnirella January 31, 2015 As a result of today s workshop, participants will define motivation and its attributes identify the causes for a lack of motivation cite the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and compliance versus engagement 1
As a result of today s workshop, participants will identify examples of compliance and engagement identify strategies that motivate and engage identify and play appropriate closure activities into lesson design STRUCTURE OF OUR WORKSHOP TODAY PART 1: What is motivation? PART 2: How can we motivate? PART 3: Let s get motivated! PART 4: Closure Part 1: How do we define motivation? 2
If a student is motivated to learn, he or she will engage in an activity with heightened energy and enthusiasm increase time on-task by initiating work and persisting despite challenges and interruptions think about what is being taught What causes a lack of motivation? Talk to the colleague(s) next to you for two minutes and cite three viable reasons why students are sometimes unmotivated. Causes for a lack of motivation: Fear of failure Lack of content relevance (no utility) Learning issues Lack of challenge Low expectations Peer concerns Desire for attention Emotional distress Home environment (family issues or perceptions) 3
Causes for a lack of motivation Lack of security/safety Lack of classroom structure and consistency Reward is not big enough History of student failure Limited degree of student mobility in classroom Limited student choice or voice Lack of feeling valued Insufficient teacher preparation/clarity Pressure to excel/ shutting down Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. -Dwight D. Eisenhower Two types of motivation Extrinsic Motivation Comes from outside of the performer Parental expectations Expectations of other trusted role models Grades Rewards unrelated to the learning Intrinsic Motivation Comes from the performer Rewards inherent to a task or activity itself Understanding of its relevance Sense of accomplishment 4
How may teachers encourage intrinsic motivation in students? Preparing organized and relevant lessons Setting deadlines (clarity) Offering choices in tasks Choosing rewards carefully How may teachers encourage intrinsic motivation in students? Having a positive teacher affect Implementing relevant activities (utility) Involving the student in decision making Tapping into students interests Building student confidence Group Activity: The link between lesson design and motivation At your table, review the lesson provided to you and identify and discuss the elements that are present or missing from a standpoint on intrinsic motivation within the lesson. Allotted time in groups: 10 minutes Allotted time as a whole class: 10 minutes 5
Case Study and Discussion Students in Mrs. Smith s American Literature class are working on a group character project from The Scarlet Letter. Joe wants to do well because he needs a B on this project in order to pass the quarter and play team basketball. Stephanie doesn t want to work with Joe. She loved the book, and her family has colonial roots. Her perception of Joe is that he won t be invested nor care. Extrinsic or intrinsic motivation? PAIR PADDLE ACTIVITY For the group project, we are choosing the American Revolution because we have family in the military. I need a B- in geometry to get my license. Our teacher will throw us a pizza party if we do well on the test. I missed three words on my spelling test. I m going to ace the next one because I want to do better. I am enrolling in this course because this might be my major in college. Extrinsic or intrinsic motivation? PAIR PADDLE ACTIVITY I want the teacher to use my thesis statement as an example during class. I feel good when I succeed in class. I m good at numbers. My guidance counselor told me to take this class. I chose Modern Literature because I read a lot on my own. 6
10 minute break Please feel free to leave a yellow index card with your questions in the basket. Thank you! Motivation to Engagement Taking motivation to the next step keeping students engaged! Compliance What is learned may not be retained. Students are high in attention but low in commitment. Motivation to Engagement Two types of compliance Strategic compliance Task is meaningless to the student, but completed due to extrinsic or intrinsic motivators; focus on reward Ritual (passive) compliance Focus on task may be due to extrinsic factors, i.e. parental disapproval, reward or punishment Investment of time and energy only what is minimally required and/or enough to avoid unpleasant circumstances 7
Motivation to Engagement Engagement Retention increases New learning occurs in contexts that have meaning and value to the student. Students are willing to invest their time, attention and energy. Students attach value and personal significance to the task. Students desire to learn the content in order to complete the task. Motivation to Engagement Engagement should be defined in terms of the meaning students give to the tasks and activities their teachers encourage them to undertake. Motivation to Engagement Students who are engaged are also compliant, in that they do what they are expected to do. But engaged students comply because they believe in what they are doing, see meaning in the tasks they are assigned, and are willing to voluntarily commit personal resources (time, energy, attention) to these tasks and activities. From Compliance to Engagement chapter one, Creating Great Schools 8
Motivation to Engagement Extrinsic motivators Intrinsic motivators THE STUDENT S ATTENTION, ENERGY, COMMITTMENT Meaningful tasks Teacher s rapport, enthusiasm, knowledge of students, content, and use of good lesson planning Class activity: Strategic or ritual? Listen to the following scenarios and confer with your group members to define if the compliance is strategic or ritual. Remember: Strategic = focus on reward Ritual = external factors or selective investment STRETCH BREAK 9
Part 2: How do we motivate students? -Personal connection -Knowledge of students -Classroom structure and consistency -Praise and criticism -Successful lesson design Part 2: How do we motivate students? Make a personal connection. Foster a relationship between students experiences and curriculum content. Become familiar with students likes and dislikes. Greet students daily with eye contact and frequent small talk. Part 2: How do we motivate students? Get to know your students. Questionnaire Interest survey Energizer activity Personal Bingo 10
Part 2: How do we motivate students? Establish classroom structure and consistency. Routines Safety is about the physical AND emotional. Items located in same space Part 2: How do we motivate students? Adhere to successful lesson design. Schema activator Instruction and student application of content in engaging activities Closure Part 2: How do we motivate students? Adhere to successful lesson design. Teach by discovery. Incorporate cooperative learning activities. Include strategies from Multiple Intelligences. Make content relevant. Student reflection/feedback on content Student questionnaire 11
Part 2: How do we motivate students? Be free but accurate with praise and constructive criticism. Focus on performance and product, not the performer. Stress opportunities to improve. Communicate with parents. LUNCH 11:30-12:30 Group Activity: Scenarios to consider when working with a reluctant student (1) Read the situation card. (2) Summarize the issue. (3) Identify two viable strategies to re-engage students. 12
Part 3: Let s get motivated! Motivate students by creating an environment that focuses on and attracts a student s intrinsic motivation. Focus on creating lessons with activities in which students will want to demonstrate content understanding. Strive to maintain students attention, commitment, and energy Part 3: Let s get motivated! Personalize your classroom! Student inquiry and sharing I wonder prompts, open-ended questions What is something unjust that has happened to you?, situations where the students can explore their values Incorporate physical movement Grouping, jigsaw, partner clocks, Think-Pair- Share, centers/stations Roles within the group (recorder, monitor, spokesperson, researcher) Motivation and Closure Activities Review of closure and its relevance to lesson design Power of engaging closure activities Millionaire and Pyramid games 13
Activity: Experiencing Closure Games Time allocation: 45 minutes 9 stations, 4 minute each, 1 minute break Please bring the salmon-colored packet, blue closure sheet, and a writing utensil with you as you rotate stations. Listen for the gong sound to move to each station. Closure games we experienced Auction Blanks Class Concentration Crazy Words Fly Swatter Pick it up! Tic Tac Toe Stations 8 and 9 Other closure activities Light bulb/question mark White boards Hot Seat A,B,C,D (our closure game today) Student retell Quick write Venn diagrams, chalkboard splash 14
Putting it all together Discussion on closure activities and their link to motivation, engagement and retention Our closure together = ABCD Game Resources for materials: The Chalkboard 1126 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford (860) 236-0044 Good Ideas 1432 Main Street, Watertown (860) 274-6939 trainerswarehouse.com Our objectives today define motivation and its attributes identify the causes for a lack of motivation outline the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and compliance versus engagement cite examples of compliance and engagement examine strategies that motivate and engage identify appropriate closure activities into lesson design 15
Please feel free to contact us. Scott P. Dunn Principal, A. Ward Spaulding School sdunn@suffield.org Laura Tinnirella Teacher, Henry James Memorial School ltinnirella@simsbury.k12.ct.us We wish for you during student teaching and beyond a career filled with success, reflection, and fulfillment. 16