“School is SO Boring!”

1. “School is SO Boring!” How to Motivate Your Middle Schooler Chris Lentner, M.A., C.A.G.S.

3. University of Rochester Tufts University My Journey Belmont Public Schools WAB

4. The Basics

5. Guides What is Motivation? Driving Force Maintains Initiates Goal-directed Behavior

6. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

7. Self-Determination Theory • 3 inherent psychological needs • Competence • Relatedness • Autonomy • Humans have an inherent tendency towards growth, development, and integrated functioning • Optimal development and actions are inherent, but do not happen automatically • Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

8. Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

9. Intrinsic Motivation • Doing something because it is interesting, enjoyable, or related to meeting one’s psychological needs • Doing something for its own sake • Driven by curiosity • Difficult to cultivate • Children are naturally motivated to learn at birth, but intrinsic motivation fades with age

10. Extrinsic Motivation • Doing something to achieve a certain outcome • Driven by rewards and threats • Most of our behavior is extrinsically motivated • Different types of extrinsic motivation

11. Avoiding Consequences Extrinsic Motivators Praise Competition • Rewards / Incentives

12. The Motivation Continuum

13. Dan Pink: Drive

14. Academic Motivation

15. negatively positively Factors: What impacts academic motivation? • Child Characteristics • Previous Failure • Unrealistic Expectations • Competition • Parent / Peer Attitudes

16. Autonomy • High degree of control • Choice • Encourage interest, curiosity, and creativity • New challenges and experiences • Importance of risk-taking • GET OUT OF THE WAY!

17. Self-Mastery • Recognize individual strengths • Empasize personal growth over comparative performance • Teach effective study skills • Model good work habits • Show a genuine interest in learning • Provide encouragement

18. Praise When does it work?

19. Praise is most effective when it is: • Relevant • Immediate • Descriptive & Specific • Enthusiastic • Sincere • Consider child’s preferred delivery methods • Provide praise for both effort and success

20. Promote Learning at Home • Provide reasonable structure • Establish a routine for schoolwork • Designate a work area - Not the couch! • Have your child practice responsibility

21. Build a Positive RelationshipWith Your Child • Express interest in your child’s life • Have conversations in which you listen to your child’s interests and concerns • Relate to your child’s life using your own interests and experiences • Ask open-ended questions • Withhold criticism

22. Show child that you respect his/her teacher • Help to make abstract, uninteresting material seem more worthwhile and relevant • Communicate with your child’s teacher regularly Work Collaboratively With Teachers

23. Sense of Purpose • Stress the value and importance of learning • Plan family trips that encourage learning • Work with your child to come up with short- and long-term goals • Talk with your child about career interests and how school is directly related to these careers

24. Setting Goals

25. Goal-setting Theory • Goals need to be: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely

26. Celebrate Successes

27. Associate success with effort • Academic success is controllable • Encourage mastery • Focus on individual performance and growth • Limit tangible rewards Celebrate Successes

28. Healthy Diet Exercise Sleep

29. 不闻不若闻之，闻之不若见之，见之不若知之，知之不若行之不闻不若闻之，闻之不若见之，见之不若知之，知之不若行之 学至于行之而止矣 Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand. - Chinese Proverb

30. Questions?