Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Responses to Merrill
•Reflective practice is a hallmark of successful teaching•
Educational Links
Posts
Price Lab School
Video
- Whole Child Blog - Race to Nowhere
- What Teachers Make - NEW
- Top 10 Things You Don't Learn about Teaching in College
- Renegade - A Modern Palindrome - NEW
- Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things
- Make a Difference - NEW
- M. David Merrill on Instruction
- Just for fun - What it's like the first day back to work from a vacation.
- Just for fun - Some days are like that!
- Just for Fun - Keep Your Priorities Straight!
- Just for Fun - ALWAYS be prepared!
- Get Motivated!
Wordle
Responses to Merrill
Wordle Response to Classroom Managment 3
I think that a major motivator for students is their interest in the subject matter. Especially as students get older, I think they are definitely more motivated to learn things that interest them right away than things that seem difficult or uninteresting to them. For us to engage our students and get them motivated we have to know their personal interests. By knowing what they like and what motivates them, we can try to incorporate that into various lessons so they are motivated to learn many different subjects.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brandi about students being more motivated when they are interested in the topics of instruction. As a student in high school, I remember really struggling to understand and be motivated to participate in things that didn't spark my interest. In my mind, the things that stick out to me the most from previous years in school are the things that I was able to relate to either directly, or take what we were learning and be able to apply it to the real world or to my own life. If we know our students ares of interest by taking time to get to know each of them, this can help tremendously when it comes time for lesson planning.
ReplyDeleteCommenting to Holly and Brandi's responses I do think motivation is easier when the students are interested in the topic but I think there is more to motivation than that.
ReplyDeleteMotivating students in the classroom can be something that teachers battle with every day. When I think of ways to motivate my own class I think of first picking topics that they are not only interested in but that they can relate to because it can make for more meaningful class. I also think having a positive attitude is also a big contributor to having motivated kids in the classroom. Giving students some power in your classroom like the power of choice I think can really help kids to stay excited about what we are learning. Lastly I think I think another good way to motivate students is to rewards and praising students at certain times so they feel competent and have self-determination to do better in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI believe that motivation comes from within the student. The characteristic that motivates the student varies from student to student. For some, it may be the lifestyle they want to live, to please their family, or to fulfill their own happiness. I think it takes both the student and teacher to build motivation in the classroom. Teachers should base their instruction off the interest of their students. I am not saying that the they should run the classroom, but their opinions should be valued. The teacher needs to make sure the students are engaged in order to reach maximum motivation. As the students get older, I believe their motivation grows; at least this was true for me. When I got into my major classes at UNI my motivation to do well and complete assignments to the best of my ability became a priority. Bottom line, if your students are interested, their motivation will rise.
ReplyDeleteI think motivation is going to be different for every student. For some, like Brandi said, it may be if the subject is interesting to them. For others, it may be receiving an 'A' or 'Good job!' on an assignment. I think students start off being motivated by extrinsic factors, like stickers, candy, etc. As teachers, we want our students to be motivated intrinsically so that they are doing work for themselves and not just for a reward. I think as students get older, they become intrinsically motivated by receiving a certain grade or getting positive feedback. I know I am more intrinsically motivated now than extrinsically. I work really hard for good grades because that's my reward.
ReplyDeleteI think that motivation differs from one student to the next and it is the teachers responsibility to figure out what their motivators are. For younger students it might be their personal interests that get them to work or the reward for that work. I think that after getting to know your students better it will be easier to relate the material to them so that they actually want to do it.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Calee that giving students some power in the classroom does help motivate them. When kids feel like they are in charge, they are definitely going to be more motivated and want to do well.
ReplyDeleteI would say that one of the major motivators for students is their interest in the topic. In addition, I think that the interest level of the teacher they are learning from also plays a huge role in their motivation. If the teacher isn't as interested, even if they are a great teacher, I think that some of that feeling is going to get through to the students and affect their own motivation level.
ReplyDeleteStudent interest is key to student motivation. They also need to see how what they are learning will be used in the "real world" especially if they are older.
ReplyDeleteI believe that every student has something that motivates them, whether it is a good grade, seeing the connection between the lesson and life outside of the classroom, or if it is presented to them in a way that is interesting to them. It is our jobs as educators to find out what motivates each child and to make the lesson relevant to them. I also believe that making a safe and welcoming classroom is important. If students believe that you care about them and their success they will be more motivated towards the subject area.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Blount. Teachers need to be excited about what they are teaching. If a student sees that the teacher isn't interested then they would have little desire to be interested themselves. If a teacher is excited, then the students will be more excited about it. Even if their excitement level may not be the same, the students will see that it is important to the teacher, and may be more apt to pay attention and do the work that is expected from them. This would be especially true if the teacher explains to them why it is exciting and important.
ReplyDeleteI think interests in the topic are a child's major motivator. The more a child is interested in a topic the easier it is going to be for them to pay attention and enjoy the subject. As a teacher, it is going to be my job to make all topics an interest and something enjoyable for each child. Finding activities that the children are going to enjoy are going to make them enjoy school and want to learn new items.
ReplyDeleteKaty I agree with your comments. If your classroom isn't one a child wants to come to, you will never find out what motivates them and what they enjoy. The more comfortable a child is, the more they are going to share with their teacher and want to learn.
ReplyDeleteI think student motivation can come from anywhere. Parents, siblings, peers, and even from themselves. Some children just have high expectations, they know what they want and will do anything to make their work the best it can be. Others can be motivated by their siblings or peers, they see how well they do in school and they want the same for themselves. Parent’s expectations can also be another motivator for children. They know what their parents want and expect, and they do know want to disappoint. Unfortunately there are children out there that do not have any motivators, that when it is the teachers job to find a way to get that students motivated. I myself was lucky enough to have my brother and my parents to motivate me throughout school. I saw how well my brother did and I wanted to do just a well. Even to this day I still compare myself to my brother and still get motivation from my parents.
ReplyDeleteHailey, I agree with you. Like you, I watched my brothers. However, they were unmotivated and got bad grades. I was motivated as the youngest and only girl in the family, to beat them and get better grades than they did. Like you, I am always comparing myself to them and trying to exceed their accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteI also had experiences with my siblings not being motivated. I think it truly helps when you do have older siblings in your life to sort of pave the way for you, in a sense. I watched my older sisters go through school when I was younger and I saw how they struggled with school and figuring out their priorities; that actually motivated me to apply myself in school and try harder. Like Hailey said, it is unfortunate that some students don't have this opportunity because they may not have these older siblings or adult figures in their lives so they don't understand as well or may not be able to see from this type of perspective. However, this is just one way that children might be motivated; there are many people that will be in every child's life that can motivate them. As teachers, it's our job to try and do that each and every day for our students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Holy, having role models such as sibling are very helpful, and helped me learn from their mistakes. I think of one time that they received an A on a project and my parents took them out for dinner- in that sense I also wanted to achieve. In this example they are being motivated not only internally but because of the rewards. As a teacher we must be creative with how we encourage children, and that their is a balance that occurs between verbal & tangible things. Motivation can happen in many different forms!
ReplyDelete