Work Completion & Motivation

Motivation. Work Completion. Learning.

• Goal Tracker: partner with the student to create a goal to work toward. The student will self-monitor their progress toward the goal with adult support.

• Lotter/Raffle Tickets: use a ticket system to reward positive behavior or academics. For each behavior that the student shows they receive a ticket. After some time, a raffle drawing is done as a reward.

• Mystery Motivator: use intrigue to motivate students to perform. By enclosing a prize in an envelop students will work toward being able to open the envelop to see what the prize is.

Steps to Take:

Step 1: Meet with the student and collaborate on the problem. Get the student’s perspective on why it is happening.

Step 2: Collaborate with the student on an appropriate goal. By letting the student have a voice in setting the goal, they are more likely to achieve it. This does not mean that they set the goal independently. The goal has to be appropriate and agreed on by both the teacher and the student.

Step 3: Design or find a goal-tracker sheet for the student to track their progress toward the goal. At first, it will be important to complete the sheet together or to check in with the student to make sure they are completing it. The teacher may consider keeping their own records as well.

Step 4: Choose a time to check in with the student on their progress. Use specific praise when the student has been making progress. If they have not, try to find at least one area of success for the student and praise that area. Also make sure that the student knows that keeping track of their progress is an expectation.

Step 5: As the student becomes more fluent with tracking their progress and has started making changes, fade the check ins out. Start by checking in less often, like every week then every two weeks. If you notice the student starts to slide back, make check-ins more regular.

Steps to Take:

Step 1: Design or find the tickets you would like to use. Tickets should have room for the students to write their name.

Step 2: Decide which behavior will earn lottery tickets. Behaviors should be things that are important for the child to do or that the child struggles to do. Use examples of what good behavior looks like and sounds like.

Step 3: Teach the child what each behavior looks like and sounds like. Tell the child that they will earn a lottery ticket for each time you see them do the behavior correctly.

Step 4: If using the lottery with a whole class, decide how often drawings will be held. At the end of the week may be an appropriate time. If behaviors are more severe, drawings should be held more regularly, possibly at the end of each day or twice a week. If using the lottery with a single child, decide how many ticket they earn before you hold a drawing.

Step 5: When giving out tickets, make sure to use praise the specific behavior that earned the ticket. for example, say “Jackson, good job turning in your assignment. You have earned a ticket.”

Step 6: Hold a drawing. For a class, draw 2 or 3 names from the lottery. These children will receive a prize, it could be the same thing or you can allow them to choose what they get. For a single child, the lottery will be to decide what their prize will be after reaching the predetermined number of tickets.

Hints:

• Make sure to catch when the child is doing the behavior correctly, especially if it is something they are not very good at.

Steps to Take:

Step 1: Decide what goal the child will be working toward. Letting the child help decide the goal will make it more likely they will work hard and achieve the goal.

Step 2: Decide on a prize. This could be free time, extra recess time, candy, group game, ect. Whatever the prize is, make sure the child will find it exciting.

Step 3: Write the name of the prize on a piece of paper then seal the paper inside an envelop. Write a ? or Mystery on the front of the envelop.

Step 4: If used as a class intervention or at home, place the envelope in an interesting area, like on the dry erase board or on the wall. If used with a single child inside the classroom show the child the envelop then keep it in your desk.

Step 5: Design a chart for both the student and the teacher to keep track of progress toward earning the Mystery Motivator. The teacher will mark each time the student meets the goal. The student will self-monitor their progress toward the goal as well. For example, if the goal is to turn in homework, each time an assignment is turned in a mark is placed on the chart.

Step 6: Once the goal is attained, the student gets to open the Mystery Motivator.