Gabe: Curriculum - IT + SDT (Intro, Conclusion)
Theo: Instruction - IT + SDT
Viridian: Assessment - EBT + SDT
Maddi: Communication - AGT + SDT
Kate: 1 on 1 - EBT + SDT
Makenzie: Classroom management - SRL + SDT
Dear Ms. Wormwood,
Good afternoon! This is Group SDT writing on behalf of Calvin, a student in your class. In this letter, we hope to address some potential educational contexts that might be adapted in order to ensure he gets the most out of your instruction. We both know that he has the potential to become a very strong student, so hopefully you will consider applying some of these changes within your classroom!
Of course, in any given classroom, teachers are required to teach content as dictated by whatever standards are applicable to their location. Within these standards, however, it might be beneficial to reconsider some curricular aspects in order to better engage Calvin. Specifically, what kind of content should be taught? In the provided samples of your teaching, we can see concepts that might be objectively important, but engage little critical thinking and creativity, which are necessary in order to foster a learner who is self-determined. In mathematics, an example of curriculum adaptation might come in the form of having your students create word problems or even providing word problems that involve Calvin's interests. Modifying simple arithmetic (like 5+3) into something like "Five T-Rexes are drinking from a pond. Two pterodactyls come and join them. How many dinosaurs are there now?" Here, Calvin is learning the exact same content and applying the exact same arithmetic as the other students, but because it relates to something he is interested in it is more likely to grab his attention. In science, giving Calvin hands-on materials and letting him move around may also help garner his interest, as he has a hard time sitting still and absorbing instruction for hours on end. In reading/writing specific content areas, providing him with excerpts of things he might be interested in (like tigers, space, or dinosaurs) and accompanying them with pictures to appeal to different learning modalities may be beneficial. In addition to this, when teaching him new content, make sure not to move on too fast or at a pace where it is apparent that he does not understand. Provide him with the resources and feedback he needs, and if he doesn't understand right away, don't discourage him! He has the potential to learn every bit of content just the same as his classmates; he just needs YOUR support. Sequencing your instruction to accommodate for this extra feedback and support will allow him room to breathe, express himself, and learn.
One of the best ways to motivate students to learn is to connect the subject matter to their pre-existing interests. Through the lens of interest theory, grasping a student's situational interest will often lead to the development of their individual interest. In other words, if an activity starts out connected to something a student is already invested in, they are more likely to continue being engaged on the topic, even when it is no longer related to their initial interest. This also connects to one of the core ideas of self-determination theory, which states one of the tenets of learning is "relatedness," AKA how much students can relate what they are learning to their own life and interests. Additionally, relating subject matter to a student's interests will make them feel more autonomous and competent; they will feel autonomous because they feel as if they had a "say" in how the subject matter was presented, and they will feel competent because they are already educated on their individual interest, and will see this as an extension of it. Additionally, Calvin has offered suggestions on how he is best taught; while your instruction obviously cannot be entirely reduced to factoids as he suggested, this idea can be adapted. "Chunking" the instruction so that students feel like they are making meaningful progress as you move through the lesson can not only keep students engaged but also make them feel more competent.
To support Calvin in improving his behavior and engagement during class, we recommend using strategies grounded in both Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), alongside consistent classroom management practices. Calvin may be acting out due to a lack of autonomy, competence, or connection within the classroom, three essential psychological needs identified in SDT. You might consider offering Calvin more structured choices in his assignments or classroom roles to help him feel a greater sense of control and personal relevance in what he’s doing. At the same time, using SRL strategies like helping him set personal goals, track his own progress, and reflect on his behavior can encourage him to take more ownership over his actions. Clear, positively framed expectations, modeled consistently, will reinforce appropriate behavior while maintaining a supportive classroom climate. By creating an environment where Calvin feels respected, involved, and capable, he’ll be more likely to stay motivated and make positive behavior choices on his own.
As an educator, you are given plenty of opportunities to work with Calvin on a more individual level, and there are a number of things that you could be doing to ensure Calvin gets the most out of these interactions. Using motivational theories to guide your conversations with Calvin would be greatly beneficial to both of you. By using the ideas presented in Self-Determination Theory as well as the Expectancy Belief Theory, you could guide conversations in a way that fosters a growth mindset within Calvin, which will eventually lead to him feeling more competent, autonomous, and interested in learning. The expectancy belief theory says that if you have high expectations for yourself and for others, then there is a higher chance that they will succeed. Communicating that you have high (and achievable) goals for Calvin is a good place to start with motivation. From there, building a growth mindset by making comments like "I'm proud of how hard you worked on this" or "I really appreciate how much effort you're putting in" when handing back assignments emphasizes trying, rather than the result. From there, ask about his interests, reinforce the idea that he's smart, and give him the autonomy to ask questions if he has them. When handing back an assignment, it would be a great idea to say, "If you have any questions, come talk to me!" This also ties into the Expectancy Belief Theory because giving clear feedback is critical for student success, so by pairing this with the idea of autonomy, Calvin will get the most out of his education. These two theories go hand in hand when getting the most out of 1-on-1 interactions because they build a connection with Calvin and give him the support that he needs when starting new assignments or learning from old ones.
As a teacher, understanding that a one-size-fits-all teaching style is very outdated. You are struggling with Calvin because your controlling autonomy teaching style is making it so he has little to no interest in what you are teaching. You can try to motivate Calvin as a learner through the Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), which is a theory that focuses on how goals influence how students think, feel, and behave within the classroom. With Calvin, maybe setting some goals with him to see if that helps motivate him in the classroom. You could also look at the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) for your own teaching style. The supportive autonomy supports the students' wants and needs within the classroom to motivate them more as learners. As we know, Calvin is a very creative student. With the supportive autonomy, if you were to relate some math problems to things he is interested in would make the material more interesting to Calvin. When interest is sparked in him, he will be more motivated to do the task at hand. Ms. Wormwood should tell Calvin's parents that, since he is such a creative student, she will be implementing more of a supportive autonomy teaching style. This type of teaching style will provide more choices for types of assignments or exams, listening to the concerns of the student, adjusting teaching to fit their needs better, and allowing for more self-paced learning. Through this teaching style, Calvin will feel more competent within the classroom, he will have more autonomy within his learning, and more relatedness with the content being taught. By this teaching style, Calvin will feel more intrinsic motivation to do the tasks at hand. Ms. Wormwood should also tell Calvin's parents that they will be setting goals within the classroom for Calvin in hopes that this will also motivate him as a learner to achieve the goals that are being set. As for assessments, you could use a mixture of SDT and EBT strategies. For formative assessments, you could ask Calvin (and the rest of the class) to relate the material to something they might use in the future. This will hopefully increase their utility value. For summative assessments, providing as many options as possible (for example, whether a student does an exam, presentation, drawing, etc.) could be a good way to support autonomy as well as increase expectancy beliefs and competence. These strategies will not only benefit Calvin but also the whole class.
We hope you will take our advice to heart! Calvin is a creative and capable student, and it is your job as his teacher to help him realize his full potential. By making adaptations to curriculum, instruction, and assessment, as well as shifting classroom management tactics, thoughtful one-on-one interactions, and communicating with Calvin's parents, you have the ability to cultivate him in a way that prepares him to succeed in life.
Best,
Group SDT