Motivating Your Students to WANT to LEARN Presented By: KMJ Consultant Corporation Kelli Tielking Malikah Griffin James Rumbaugh Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP Our goal at KMJ Consultation Corporation is to give teachers the knowledge and strategies about how to motivate their students to want to learn and be successful throughout their academic career. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP Teachers will determine and reflect upon their own motivation style as well as their motivation to work within a school setting Teachers will identify the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to learn Teachers will learn classroom conditions and strategies that foster motivation to learn Teachers will learn how to increase student motivation to learn in the time of standardized assessments Teachers will learn how to motivate parents to get involved and support their child’s academic success Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Outline for the Workshop Introductions Icebreaker Exercise Results of Bel Pre Survey Power Point about Student Motivation Activity Questions Evaluation Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

What’s Your Motivation Style? Workshop Exercise Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

What is Motivation? Motivation is the force that draws you to act upon something. Motivation styles vary depending upon the situation and/or topic but nonetheless, you draw on your style of learning when you are trying to learning something new or challenging. Motivational styles allow you to identify the situation that best satisfies your needs (Conner, 1993-2005) Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Motivation Style Questionnaire Complete the following questionnaire to determine your preferred motivation style. Circle the response that best describes you, answering as honestly as possible. Count the number of circled items and write your total at the bottom of each column. These questions have no right or wrong answers. Your response offers insight about how your motivated to learn and how you may be motivate your students to learn. www.agelesslearner.com/assess/motivationstyle.html (c) Marcia L. Conner, 1993-2005 Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Demographics of Bel Pre Middle School 43.7 % Female 46.5 % African American 13.4 % Asian 42.9 % FARMS Grade 6 – 293 students 56.3 % Male 27.6 % Hispanic 12.2 % White 648 Total Students 7.9 % ESOL Grade 7 – 183 student Grade 8 – 172 students Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Bel Pre Survey KMJ consultants: Observed classrooms Interviewed teachers at each grade level Administered a survey to students (assembly for each grade level) Analyzed previous years test scores Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Results of Bel Pre Survey Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Results of Bel Pre Survey Cont’d Grade 6 – 61% of students unmotivated Grade 7 – 49% of students unmotivated Grade 8 – 55% of students unmotivated Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Previous Research about Student Motivation Researchers have found that goal setting and teacher expectations significantly improve student motivation and achievement (Madden, 1997). Eccles & Midgley (1989) found that motivation declines for many children as result of transitioning from elementary school to middle school. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Previous Research about Student Motivation-cont’d McCombs (1991) said that learners of all ages are naturally quite adept at being self-motivated and managing the learning tasks they perceive as fun, interesting, personally meaningful, or relevant in some way. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

What is Student Motivation? A student’s desire to participate in the learning process Reasons or goals that underlie their involvement or noninvolvement to academic activities “The meaningfulness, value, and benefits of academic tasks to the learner, regardless of whether or not they are intrinsically motivated (Hermine Marshall, 1987)”. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Intrinsic verses Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsically Motivated students participate in learning “for their own sake” and their feelings of accomplishment Extrinsically Motivated students participate in learning in order to obtain a reward or avoid punishment Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Intrinsic verses Extrinsic Motivation-cont’d Are there advantages to intrinsic motivation? Intrinsically motivated students tend to choose more challenging tasks and extrinsically motivated students gravitate toward tasks with low difficulty. More logical information-gathering and decision making strategies are used by students with intrinsic motivation when handed a complex task. Over time, extrinsic motivators can produce intrinsic motivation. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Why are Students Unmotivated? Dominguez (2003) found three possible reasons for students’ lack of motivation: Transitioning Autonomy Perception of Failure Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Factors that Influence Student Motivation Student’s home environment Teacher’s beliefs and expectations about learning Schoolwide goals, policies, and procedures Developmental Changes Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

What Students Think is a Motivating Class Sass (1989) asked his classes to recall two recent classes. One class that was highly motivating and another that their motivation was low. Major contributors to student motivation: Instructor's enthusiasm Relevance of the Material Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

What Students think is a Motivating Class-cont’d Organization of the class Appropriate difficulty level of the material Active involvement of students Variety Rapport between teacher and student Use of appropriate, concrete, and understandable examples Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Strategies/Behaviors to Increase Student Motivation Hold High and Realistic Expectations for your students Help your students set achievable goals for themselves Show and tell students how to succeed in your class Strengthen students’ self-motivation Saying “I think you will find…” instead of “you must” or “I require” Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Strategies/Behaviors to Increase Student Motivation-cont’d Avoid creating intense competition among students BE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT YOUR SUBJECT Vary your teaching methods Let students have some say in choosing what will be studied Work from students’ strengths and interests Emphasize mastery and learning rather than grades Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Responding to Students Work Give students feedback as quickly as possible Reward success Introduce students to the good work of their peers Be specific when giving negative feedback Avoid demeaning comments Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Students Who Are Engaged Three characteristics: Students are attracted to their work Students are persistent in their work despite challenges and obstacles Students are visibly proud and delighted in completing and accomplishing their work Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

The SCORE S – success (the need for mastery) C – curiosity (the need for understanding) O – originality (the need for self-expression) R – relationship (the need for involvement with others) E – ENGAGEMENT The SCORE represents the Goals and Needs students have when engaged in their work and learning. Which of these goals are particularly important to you? Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Getting Parents Involved Establish honest and effective communication with parents Take the initiative to build relationships Give parents the skills and information needed to motivate their students Make a connection with students Leave emotion out of the situation “Programs and interventions that engage families in supporting their children’s learning at home are linked to higher student achievement (Dominguez, 2003)”. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

HMMMMMM….. Workshop Activity Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

THINK BUBBLE ACTIVITY Break into groups of 2 or 3 people. Think of five reasons of why school is important and write your thoughts in the think bubble. Discuss why you chose your five reasons to the group. Explain how these reasons may motivate your students to stay focused on doing their best in school. Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Questions Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)

Evaluation Please a take a moment to fill out an evaluation form Evaluation Please a take a moment to fill out an evaluation form. We appreciate your time today. Thanks for you participation!! Griffin, Rumbaugh, and Tielking (2006)