Understanding and Motivating Students

1. Understanding and Motivating Students Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding and Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

2. Do you know a student who seeks attention or is susceptible to peer pressure? seeks power to control others or is defiant? seeks revenge or hurts others? gives up easily or avoids tasks? Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

3. Motivate Students By Giving Them What They Need The Four C’s Connection- having the sense of belonging Capability -having the ability to take care of oneself Counting -having the knowledge that one can make a difference Courage -believing one can handle what comes Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

4. Motivate Students By Giving Them What They Need The Four C’s Connection-having the sense of belonging Capability—having the ability to take care of oneself Counting—having the knowledge that one can make a difference Courage—believing one can handle what comes Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

5. What are you currently doing to help your students feel… connected? capable? as though they count? courageous? Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

6. The Need to be Connected • Survival depends on our ability to bond. • Through development we must move from total dependency to interdependency. • Move from being dependent, to being someone upon whom others can depend. • Children who don’t connect in constructive ways feel insecure/isolated, seek attention and are more susceptible to peer pressure. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

7. Connections Children who feel connected… • feel secure • can reach out • can make friends • can cooperate “I believe that I belong.” Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

8. The Need to Develop Competence and Feel Capable Upon moving from dependence to interdependence, one must develop the ability to be independent (some degree of self-sufficiency in performing certain tasks). The foundation of feeling competent and capable comes with the ability to take care of oneself. Children who don’t feel capable may try to seek power, control others and/or become defiant. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

9. Capable Children who believe they are capable… • feel competent • have self-control and self-discipline • assume responsibility. • are self-reliant “I believe I can do that.” Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

10. The Need for Significance- The Belief That One Counts We want to feel we make a difference, that our existence matters. People who don’t believe they count through constructive means try to prove that they count through negative means. They may seek revenge and hurt others. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

11. Counts • Children who believe they count… • feel valuable • believe they can make a difference • believe they can contribute “I believe that I matter and I can make a difference.” Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

12. The Need for Courage To take risks requires courage. Children without courage focus on what they can’t do. They often give up and avoid. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

13. Courage Children who have courage… • overcome fear • feel equal, confident, and hopeful • handle challenges; are resilient • are willing to try “I believe that I can handle what comes.” Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

14. What might you do to help your students develop a sense of… connectedness? capability? worth? (counting) courage? Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

15. Essential Skills for Academic Success Children need to be able to communicate effectively in order toconnectconstructively. Children need self-discipline to become capable. Children need to believe that they count and make a difference if they are going to be willing to assume responsibility. Children need good judgment if they are going to use courage wisely and safely. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

16. Getting a Need Met When children succeed in getting a need met, they gain courage for future tasks. When children experience only failure, they lose some of their courage and become timid of future tasks. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

17. Misbehavior Children who don’t feel connected, capable or that they count, develop misbehaviors. When children don’t get their needs met in constructive ways they find unconstructive ways to feed their needs. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

18. Misbehavior Students who feel • not connected • not capable • they don’t count • no courage Act out by • seeking attention • seeking power • seeking revenge • seeking avoidance Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

19. Please Remember Misbehavior is NOT the problem. Misbehavior is the student’s attempt to find a solution for a problem they feel they have. We have to help children find alternative solutions. Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

20. Helping Students Reflect on Purpose of Behavior Possible questions • “Do you know why you________ (describe specific behavior)?” • “May I tell you what I think?” • Helps confirms hypothesis about behavior • Helps students feel understood • Will not be effective if you punish or accuse Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

21. Questions Related to Specific Behaviors • Attention • “Could it be that you would like people to notice you?” • “Could it be that you would like more of my time?” • Power • “Could it be that you want to show people that you can do what you want?” • “Could it be that you want to show people that they can’t make you do what they want?” Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

22. Questions Related to Specific Behaviors • Revenge • “Could it be that you sometimes feel that others are hurting you and you want to show them how it feels by hurting them back?” • “Could it be that you feel others treat you unfairly and you want to get even?” • Avoidance • “Could it be that you’re convinced that you will never measure up and you would rather not try at all and perhaps you wish people would just leave you alone?” Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

23. Teacher Interventions:Demanding Attention (Connection) Minimize the attention given to misbehavior Notice behaviors you want to encourage Act, don’t talk Act before there is a problem Assign jobs that get positive attention by being helpful to others Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

24. Teacher Interventions:Seeking Power (Capability) Think about what YOU can do rather than what THEY should do When correcting, focus on the behavior not the child Don’t allow situations to escalate Give student real responsibilities When possible, decide on rules as a class Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

25. Teacher Interventions:Seeking Revenge (Count) Make a list of positives about the child Refuse to retaliate, escalate or humiliate Before trying to resolve conflicts, allow for cooling off period for both of you Offer lots of chances for the child to help others Share responsibility for solving problems with the child Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

26. Teacher Interventions:Practicing Avoidance (Courage) Create learning experiences from mistakes Set students up for success Recognize effort and small improvements Teach positive self-talk Don’t give up Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

27. Encourage vs. Praise? Encouragement-instilling courage by helping students see their strengths and developing a belief in themselves Praise—pointing out what we think he/she does well Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

28. Helping Students Feel Connected Provide opportunities for cooperative interactions Show an interest in each student Give positive attention Find and recognize strengths and talents Show acceptance—separate the deed from the doer Send cards, messages, homework to absent students Conduct classroom meetings Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

29. Helping Students Feel Capable Create learning experiences from mistakes Build confidence Offer participation in classroom meetings Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

30. Helping Students FeelThey Count Through contributions By helping one another (peer tutoring) By helping the community Through recognition Through participation in classroom meetings Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

31. Helping Students FeelCourageous Don’t expect perfection of self or others Point to strengths, not weaknesses Don’t make comparisons with others Ask questions of student Ask questions of yourself Allow students to experience natural consequences Avoid criticism Through participation in classroom meetings Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

32. The Three R’s of Logical Consequence Related logically to misbehavior Respectful in order to avoid humiliation (firm and kind) Reasonable—logical and understood by adult and student Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

33. What will you do in order to understand and motivate your students? How will you help them feel… connected? capable? as though they count?(worthy) courageous? Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther