1. Motivating the Low Motivated
Jan Gont, K-12 Special Education Curriculum Coordinator
West Aurora SD 129
ILCCBD WInter Drive In Conference 2019

2. Identify key motivators and common understandings and misunderstandings about motivation.
Explore factors that can impact motivation in the classroom and identify strategies to improve outcomes for students.
Link learning to CASEL competencies and identify how skills can be incorporated into everyday instruction.
Develop and share real life application to classroom learning.
Intended Outcomes…

3. Nearly half of students in Gallup's 2014 student poll report being either not engaged (28 percent) or actively disengaged (19 percent) in school. The poll of 825,000 fifth- through 12th-graders shows a clear slide as children progress in school.
A 2014 survey by Education Week found that only 40 percent of the teachers and administrators who participated believed that most of their students were highly engaged and motivated. Teachers and administrators from high-poverty schools reported much lower levels than those from more affluent schools.
Research finds student engagement plays a role in college success — or lack thereof (The Journal of Higher Education, 2008).
Statistics
2-3 min

4. How does motivation relate to Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

5. Self- reflection is KEY!
It is a 2 way street...

6. How do you define what motivates you?
5 min

7. Motivation Basics Intrinsic Motivation Extrinsic Motivation Vs.
Long term; sustaining
Short term; situational
Vs.
Application:
How does this affirm or challenge your current beliefs?
What are the impacts in the classroom? Challenges?
2-3 min

8. The Surprising Truth About Motivation
Fulfillment
Interests
The Surprising Truth About Motivation
Needs
What really motivates us? Our drive? Willingness to succeed?
If you reward something do you get more of the behavior you want?
If you punish something do you get less of the behavior you want?
Emotions
Success
Failure
Risk
Challenge
Refer to MIT study: (tasks)
Minimal cognitive skill - cash reward was positively correlated to motivation
Increased cognitive skill (task)- large reward negative correlation to motivation - motivation was worse
Higher incentives lead to decrease in performance
Low skill tasks - higher incentives = positive outcomes
Higher level skill tasks- self direction (autonomy) mastery, purpose= positive outcomes
Think about how that might translate to education…. Are you using mostly extrinsic motivators for students (candy, tangible objects, breaks?)
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Dan Pink (2011).

10. (cognitive, social-emotional, mental health)
Contributing Factors
Relationships
Development
(cognitive, social-emotional, mental health)
Environment

11. Self – Awareness: Critical points to consider…
Accomplishments
A student believes personal worth depends on accomplishment
Ability
Ability is perceived as a critical for success
Self-worth
Ability is only based on self-worth
Unlikely Success
If success is not anticipated then behaviors are used to minimize implications of ability
Resistive Behavior
Self – Awareness: Critical points to consider…

12. Relationships and Development
Positive trends
Early Experiences/ Elementary
Supports
Commitment
Perception
Secondary Experiences
Self - worth
Competition
Weak trends

13. Driving Forces...
Developmental skills both academically and social emotionally have an impact on motivation with students -
Discuss lagging skills-

14. Environment: Finding the Balance….
Does the student have the skills to handle the demands being placed on them in the environment?
If you raise expectations - supports need to be raised often times as well.
Skill deficits vs. performance deficit

15. A deeper look at environment...
Safe & Supportive
How would you describe the culture of your classroom?
Acceptance?
Supportive?
Sense of belonging?
Contributions?
How would your students describe it?
A deeper look at environment...
Values - explicitly communicated
Positive Culture
Culture
Students who have a strong sense of belonging to their learning community have greater chances for success in school (engagement, academic outcomes, positive behavior)
The culture of your classroom - does it achieve building a sense of community? ( belonging, success, contributions?)
Perception is reality...

16. Essentials of Motivation - looking through another lens...
Autonomy - self- direction; self guidance; personal investment/ committment
Purpose- relevance; is the task relevant to the person? Situation? Environment?
Mastery- is there an acquired level of understanding or skill - lack of skill would have a negative impact

17. Thoughts on Autonomy & Commitment
“If you want it you will find a way, if you don’t you will find an excuse.”
Thoughts on Autonomy
& Commitment
Building a strong sense of commitment is directly linked to autonomy -self reflection

18. Teacher to student and student to student relationships can have significant impacts to student motivation.
Remember…
Climate and culture are important for supporting rapport with students.
Build a strong rapport “foundation” early and foster throughout the year.
Relationships

19. Voice & Choice Critical Thinking Self - Assessment Authentic Learning
Motivating and Empowering Student Centered Learning...
Authentic Learning
Voice & Choice
Have students set individual goals
Use choice boards to differentiate activities
Student classroom roles
Critical Thinking
Daily critical thinking questions
Concept Maps (Lucidchart, Google Draw)
Self - Assessment
Use symbols to represent level of understanding
Reflection on Learning Log
Website resource to check out!: Better Lesson - Instructional Strategies

20. Building Student Autonomy in the Classroom
1-2-3 Then Me: This approach asks students to rely first on their own and their peers’ understanding of a task. Give students one minute to go over the directions silently, two minutes to discuss the directions with each other, and three minutes to plan their approach to the task.
Recorded Directions and Responses: These are simple but powerful tools, especially for students whose reading and writing skills are still developing. With the voice memo function on a device, record yourself giving directions.
What are some ways you build autonomy in your classrooms?

21. Teach students to self- assess learning.
Color Coded Labels: This self-monitoring and signaling strategy builds students’ skills in deciding if and when they need teacher help.
Green: I am/we are fine—no teacher help needed.
Yellow: I/we need teacher help but can continue working while waiting for it.
Red : I/we need teacher help immediately and have stopped working.
Teach students to self- assess learning.

22. Fostering Purpose that link to Authentic Outcomes
Student Voice and Choice
Relate Learning to Real Life Application
Model Process

23. Building Purpose Important things to consider… Goals
What outcomes do we want?
What outcomes does the student want?
Voice & Choice
Does the student contribute to the planning for the direction they want to head in?
Defining the commitment…
Are they clear on the expectations? Do they value the outcome?
Building Purpose
How do you approach these questions with students?
Conferencing?
Class meeting?

24. Be learner focused! Learners Interests Needs Abilities Goals
Interest inventory
5 min mini student conferences
Collaborative activities
Be learner focused!
Classroom goals
Group goals
Individual Goals
Ask each student what helps them be successful?
What are their strengths?
What are their weaknesses?
Share observation from Bulak classroom - mini review of goals at the start of the lesson – linked to redirection throughout- closed with self-assessment and mini conference to reflect and set goal for next session. This can be applied not only in the classroom setting but to practitioner sessions as well

25. Ideas that Support Student Focused Classrooms
Building in challenges
Reasonable and attainable
Coping skills - managing failure
Shared responsibility- contribution
Supports in place
Opportunity for growth, improvement, innovation
Strategies…
Model coping strategies
Build connections regarding failure/ overcoming challenge
ACCEPTANCE - students get what they need- we all need different things to succeed
Ideas that Support Student
Focused Classrooms
Are you a tour guide or a thought innovator?
How do you approach productive struggle in your classroom?

26. Engagement Get in the zone!
Expectancy- Value model
Students are more likely to be engaged if they expect to do well and if they value what they are learning (Collier, 2015).
Flow Theory
students who are highly engaged and motivated while challenged with tasks that are at peak difficulty level (not too hard, but also not too easy)
Mindset impacts engagement
Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset
Student perceptions (flexible, or fixed... Have an impact!)
Engagement
Get in the zone!
Michael Jordan - Flow Theory example:
Needed for Flow…
Intrinsic motivation
Clear goals & a sense of progress
Clear and immediate feedback
Challenge must match skill - personal control
Focus in the present moment
How does this translate to your classroom and your students? What is their perception on learning?
Engage students in dialogue around what they want to learn, like about learning, what they aspire to be.

27. Mastery Assessment Explicit Instruction Self- Reflection
Incorporated daily
Mastery
Assessment
Pre and Post
Explicit Instruction
Strengths
Weaknesses- lagging skills?
Self- Reflection
Student
Teacher
Link back to Does the student have the skills to handle the demands in the environment?
Challenge needs to fit the student

28. How can we get students to reach the state of flow?
Vestibulum congue
Intrinsic Motivation
How can we get students to reach the state of flow?
Focus in the Moment
Clear Goals
Vestibulum congue
Vestibulum congue
Challenge Matches Skill
Immediate Feedback

29. Achievement & Mindset
Children who were praised for effort were more likely to have growth mindsets and to enjoy challenges, while those who were praised for inherent abilities were more likely to see these as immutable or fixed, the study found (Child Development, 2013).

30. Strategies to Promote Engagement
Blend passive & active
Diverse Activities
Provide opportunities
for interactivity
Collaboration
Active questioning & discussion
Opportunities to Respond
Strategies to Promote Engagement

31. Ten & 2 Method
For every 10 minutes of instruction (passive activity) plan an opportunity for action (student to student collaboration, discussion challenge, movement)

32. Empowering learning fosters improved motivation.
Lesson challenge….
In pairs/ small group discuss 3 strategies supporting improving student motivation and apply to activities you will use in your classroom this year.
Share plan with class.
15 minutes

33. Motivational Video I Can Do This!

34. Questions??
Jan Gont