Motivation

1. Motivation Batteries Not Included: Based on Rick Lavoie’s book The Motivation Breakthrough 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child Karen Irmer Stephanie Leccese Andie Merkowitz

2. Batteries Not Included Is it a teacher’s job to communicate information, facts, and concepts? Should students be equipped with motivation before arriving in the classroom? Or is it the teacher’s job to help excite and motivate their students? Motivation – teachers who motivate do not necessarily make learning fun, but they make it attainable and purposeful.

3. Motivation Myth #1“…NOTHING motivates that kid.” • All human behavior is motivated. • A student with their head on the desk, refusing to participate. Is this student unmotivated? • Difference between lack of motivation and misdirected motivation.

4. Motivation Myth #2“one day he’s motivated, the next day he’s not” Psychology recognizes motivation as a relative constant. Performance, productivity, and progress may vary from day Poor school performance and productivity are temporary; motivation is permanent.

5. Motivation Myth #3“Give him something; that will motivate him” Rewards as incentives – they may influence behavior, but not motivation Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Extrinsic motivators (sticker charts) - lead to students surrendering self-assessment Students need to feel personal satisfaction for a job well done

6. How to Foster Intrinsic Motivation Encourage students to set and establish individual goals for themselves Students goals must be attainable and appropriate

7. Motivation Myth #4Competition: The Great Motivator The only person motivated by competition is the person who believes that he has a chance of winning. We do our best work when we compete against ourselves – not against others As adults, we compete when we choose to compete Cooperative vs. Competitive

8. Motivation Myth #5Punishment is an effective motivator Punishment (as a motivator) is ineffective and short-term Punishment is effective only as long as the threat of punishment exists – it doesn’t increase motivation. Children tend to associate punishment with the punisher, not the offending behavior.

9. Performance Inconsistency Most students with learning disabilities will have performance inconsistency Internal clock theory Good-day folders

10. Learned Helplessness Students with similar symptoms may not have the same learning disability Learned helplessness – when a student feels that they are helpless, they stop trying completely. Students often have automatic negative thoughts.

11. Three Steps to Combat Learned Helplessness • 1. Understand and embrace the nature of learned helplessness • 2. Change the student’s thought process and adjust his belief that fear is inevitable. • 3. Contradictory evidence

12. Primary Needs • Hunger • Thirst • Air/Rest • Elimination of Waste • Escape from Pain… …..Embarrassment

13. Definition of Adolescence “The 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 365 day battle to not be embarrassed” Any kid would rather be viewed as bad than dumb

14. Secondary NeedsThe Eight Forces of Motivation • Gregariousness • Autonomy • Status • Inquisitiveness • Aggression • Power • Recognition • Affiliation

15. 6 Ways to Motivate Not every child is motivated by the same thing • Praise • Prizes • Prestige • Projects • People • Power

16. Success “If he would only try harder…. he would do better” “If he only did better….. he would try harder”