How do we encourage students to do the things that we know they NEED to do, such as preparing for class? How do we influence them to do the types of things that we WANT them to do? How do we get students to feel accountable to THEMSELVES for their own results, WITHOUT appearing mean spirited? Steve Markoff Montclair State University

 VABES: Values, Assumptions, Beliefs, Expectations  Key VABEs that affect student motivation:  Characteristics of good students  Smart (has natural aptitude)  Willing to work  Curious  Can follow instructions  Positive self image  Visualizing/treating students as you want them to be  The teaching experience fallacy  The teacher as leader, salesperson and people developer  Students: Then and now  Generals fighting their last battle  Doctors using previous experience  Practice makes progress – practicing on people

Why do people do what they do (or not do what you want them to do)?  What makes people do what they do?  Pleasure and pain - gain a benefit and avoid a loss  Why don’t people do something?  What, how & why – they don’t know WHAT to do, they don’t know HOW to do it, or, they DON’T WANT TO DO IT!  Why don’t they do what they need?  Wants vs. needs – people do WANTS and not NEEDS. KEY: Selling what they need, DISGUISED as what they want.

Know The Students  How important are faculty-student relationships?  Motivational effect & relationship to effort  Academic integrity  Goal Setting – what kind of goals should they have?  Goals for school, career and the current course  What’s in a name?  Learn ‘em and FAST  Should I contact the students BEFORE day one?  Recent research  My pre-course sequence – and WHY  What needs to happen on Day One?  Most important day – what I do and why  How comprehensive should my syllabus be?  Communicate everything!

 Team dynamics  Why is it so powerful?  Peer pressure  Including YOURSELF as part of the team  Mutual respect  Building/earning respect versus demanding respect  Rules of human interaction that enhance or detract  Rule of Paternalism  Golden Rule  Rule of Respect

 Why do I need to know THEIRS:  Gaining commitment  Communicating yours CLEARLY and WHY  Performance versus activity goals  Monitoring performance and activity  Checking progress  Redundant communications and follow-up: Nagging that works!

 What are strokes?  A stroke is an act of recognition  What are the sources of strokes?  Self or others  What are the problems with stroking negative-self-image students?  Inability to stroke themselves  Don’t feel as though they deserve positive strokes  Don’t handle positive strokes well  What is the hierarchy of strokes?  Positive, negative and NONE  Which are more effective, positive or negative strokes?  Both  What are the purposes of positive and negative strokes?  Positive reinforces desired behavior, negative stops undesired behavior

 What are the kinds and types of positive strokes?  Kinds  The 3 Ts – Time, Talk, Touch  Types  Outstanding level of performance  Unconditional  Improved performance  Output, Attitude (Outlook), Behavior (Activity)  Statement clearly reasoned with behavior  What, why, ask  Continued level of performance  Why is it so CRITICAL?  Difficulties  Problems if you DON’T  Relate the stroke to their goal  Show interest in their personal lives

 What is a Negative Stroke?  An act of recognition – undesired behavior  What is the purpose of negative strokes?  Stops undesired behavior  Watch for “binary trap” – negative strokes don’t start desired behavior  When do you give a negative stroke?  Now! – As close to the negative behavior as possible  Watch for time delay  Where do you give negative strokes?  Generally, in private. One exception  How do you deliver a negative stroke?  Brief  Intense  Direct  Specific  Follow up  NO DOGHOUSING!

1. Know your students 2. Respect them for what the ARE, but see them as they CAN BE. 3. Set and communicate performance AND activity goals and make sure they know WHY 4. INSPECT what you EXPECT 5. Turn NEEDS into WANTS - connect performance and activity goals to THEIR personal goals 6. Be part of the TEAM 7. Recognize outstanding performance 8. Recognize continuing performance 9. Recognize improved performance 10. Deal with undesired behavior NOW

If you want the students to do the things you know they need to do, they must get the payoff and it must come in terms of what we are all starved for – the feeling of being: RESPECTED APPRECIATED VALUED IMPORTANT Remember – we are ALL starved for positive strokes.