How We Teach This: Season Three
Season 3 of How We Teach This has a wide range of guests and topics including Social Emotional Learning, Brain-based teaching, motivation and inspiring stories from teachers.
Episode 1 - January 19, 2022
Strategies to Increase Motivation
Dr. Jenny Moss shares strategies and examples of how creating a more autonomy-supportive classroom compared to a controlling environment can improve the overall environment of teaching and learning. She shares why behavior management strategies like public charts or activities that shame students create a less than desirable effect. She offers the suggestion of incorporating more choice and value for students.
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When a student asks a question, instead of just telling them the answer, Dr. Moss suggests offering a "hint" instead.
"I noticed that your coat is on the floor." vs. "Go, pick up your coat."
The first statement supports the student to make the choice to pick it up.
If the student does not make that choice, then the teacher could follow up with a hint statement, "Some students would pick it up before it gets stepped on."
Thinking of the things we can control in our classroom, Dr. Moss recommends looking for solutions first in the curriculum. Ensure that it is high quality and interesting; then analyzing the instructional strategies to increase support for the students' social emotional needs. Next, check for elements in the environment that could be improved and lastly look towards strategies for the individual student.
If you are looking for alternatives for behavior management that do not shame students into compliance, Dr. Moss suggests checking out the author, Jane Nelsen, of "Positive Discipline in the Classroom", plus many other specialized areas.
Avoiding extrinsic motivators and shaming strategies like public posters with clips will move the classroom environment to be more supportive of self-determination.
Want to be a guest on our show? Contact us at email: HWTT@emporia.edu
