Classroom Behavior And Synthesis Essay

Chap 5: Engage for Motivation and Effort

Taking the time to understand the unwanted behaviors students exhibit by understanding the student themselves. There are no unmotivated students only students in unmotivated states. Unwanted behaviors come from unmotivated states.

Strategies:

Topic, partner, and process choices in learning

Transfer ownership of learning to the students by allowing the to help create rubrics.

Allow students to write the classroom rules and hold each other to them

Give up some control in the classroom and assign classroom jobs (see chap 8 for more on jobs)

Reduce risk in student learning. When students feel the risk in putting themselves out there they are much less likely to be motivated. Don’t used sarcasm, or humiliate students in front of classmates. Creating trust

Demonstrate positive language, raising hands, etc.

Don’t single out student who use a nonstandard dialect. Discuss how each person speaks in their own “beat”, and model “beat” that will help them succeed.

Ask inclusive questions. For example: Do ask: “Who would like to visit other countries some day?” Don't ask: Who has traveled outside the country?” The first question involves everyone, the second questions creates a divide between those who have (can) and those who can’t afford to.

Build a learners mindset. Students often believe they are stuck at their current level of performance, and that expectation plays a large part as a predictor of future outcome. Spent time building student attitude toward growth and learning, focus on the effort necessary to make change, and the capacity for growth. Let them know that they are in control over some to these factors.

Strategies:

Affirm student’s abilities, affirm trust in you as the teacher, affirm their effort, choice, and attitude.

Avoid planting negative statements, such as “I know your tired, but”, these type of statements give students and out on effort and