The theories of motivation that were most helpful for me were the extrinsic/intrinsic motivation and goal theory. I feel like I learn and am more motivated by rewards and my interests in the material. If I like the subject or assignment then I put more effort into it. Also if I am competing or working towards a prize I will work harder. I think kids will be motivated the same way. If the student or class sets a goal then the motivation will follow. The homework passes work as motivation for better grades or a class pizza party if everyone makes the goal. I also think reinforcement is a great motivator. Reinforcement needs to come after a specific behavior like staying on task and it needs to be at random. Reinforcement can be stickers, pencils, candy or any treat that will motivate the kids.
I found a video on youtube that I thought was a great motivator for the individual kids along with the whole class. It is about 4 minutes long but worth watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVHVUSizMa0
The teacher is helping the students prepare for standardized testing coming up. This is a stressful time for teachers and students. She uses their review packet to make a game for the kids. The kids are motivated to find the right answers so their team can win the prize. The students rely on each other to be right and together they earn points. Each child enjoys getting theit time at the board and can show the class what they know. If they get the answer wrong they get to see how they missed it and fix their error. The competition motivates them but also helps them review in a less atressful way.
Hey Lauren, I am following your blog. I agree with you that I am usually extrinsically motivated and usually work towards a reward. I loved your video! Great find!
ReplyDeleteI think having a game during the stressful time of standardized tests is a great way to motivate students. I remember being in school and dreading these tests, and you want your students to perform well. Relying on each other to find the right answers helps them learn about teamwork. I also think getting to write on the board is one of the best ideas ever--it was always my favorite thing to do. Making the class excited about learning is so important.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example of having the students learn about teamwork and compete not just for themselves, but for their team. I think this is a great example of social skills that are taught in elementary school - the "no talking or touching" rule made me laugh!
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