How can productive motivational patterns be fostered? 

Teachers should communicate the purpose of activities to students

• This allows students to make connections between the lesson and their personal lives

"Tasks should be purposeful, challenging and varied" (pg 7)

• Avoid busy work, create assignments that challenge and grow students abilities and knowledge, and vary the instructional method and assignment type

Modifying scaffolding to fit student needs saves time, improves retention and understanding, and fostered a mastery environment

Student engagement can be increased when students are involved in decision-making and leadership while learning

• "One way to involve students in decision-making is to give them choice, at times, about what partners to work with during collaborative tasks, about what materials to use, and about how to complete tasks (Kaplan et al., 2002)" (pg 8)

"When monitoring students’ work on classroom assignments, teachers should facilitate learning by asking students questions related to their understanding of the work instead of simply admonishing them and directing them back to work" (pg 8)

• A lot of the time, students are not engaged in class due to a lack of understanding and the belief that they are incapable of completing the task successfully. "By offering them help that makes them aware of their capabilities and accountable for their learning, teachers can prevent these feelings" (pg 8)

When recognizing student achievement, stick to the principles of recognition:

• "Avoid recognizing the absence of mistakes" (pg 9)

• Give recognition privately when possible

• "Recognize students for stretching their own capabilities and for coming up with novel ways to solve a problem" (pg 9)

• Acknowledging quality instead of quantity

Depending on the nature of the assignment, the teacher should use different grouping arrangements in the class (individuals, dyads, and small groups) to build a variety of skills

• "In order for these goals to be realized, the composition of the small groups should vary depending on the nature of the activity" (pg 10). This allows each student's varied experiences and perspectives to be taken into account

Cooperative base groups are another option for alternative grouping in the classroom. In this structure, students are divided into small groups. They will stay in these groups throughout their time in the class

• "According to Johnson and Johnson (1994), establishing more permanent groupings for students allows them to develop comfort with each other, building trust, confidence, and rapport throughout the time of the learning experience" (pg 11)

 Teachers should emphasize why a “good grade” is considered a good grade

“Bad grades” should be viewed as mistakes that can be remedied instead of a punishment for a lack of ability

Use a mixture of both evaluative and descriptive feedback

"Self-evaluation should be used when utilizing both summative and formative means of assessment so that students develop ownership and responsibility for their learning" (pg 12)

"Mastery goals will most likely prevail when students perceive variety within the learning environment and feel some ownership in determining the pace and scheduling of learning activities and assignments" (pg 13)

• If students are struggling with an assignment, it can be useful to allocate more time to the assignment to foster mastery instead of performance

"Along with teacher enthusiasm, managing time in the classroom so that activities are focused on learning, transitions are planned and run smoothly, and consequences for inappropriate behavior are clear provide the foundation for utilizing time productively in the classroom" (Woolfolk, 2004)