Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Monday, October 3, 2016
Positively Incentivizing
Today I'm thinking about effectively incentivizing positive choices.
Click the graphic below to read my guest post for Free Spirit.
In the post, I suggest giving students the option to earn Brag Tags, Badges, and Experiences. Shortly after that post went live, I saw this creative idea on Facebook.
It was put in the yard of an unsuspecting student of one of the teachers, Christina Hogue, at our sister school. Isn't that a fun way to incentivize good character? Would it work in your district? If not, how would you tweak it? What could you do for a child in an apartment or condo, who might not have a yard? How might you change it if your school's parents didn't want you to share quite as much info?
And just yesterday, I read this post about rethinking those Clip Chart systems. I've always thought that if we were going to use a clip system, maybe it could be more of a Character Clip, using a visual like this.
Here's how it could work.
Let's all start on caring in our community of caring. Then, throughout the day, as students are caught showing good character, we could say, "Bailey, thank you for making such good choices. What spot on the wheel do you think you could move your clip to?" Think about how empowering it would be for this child to go and move her clip to the pillar whose power she was positively sharing. Students could also be on the lookout for positivity they see one another giving: "I just saw Jimmy taking turns and sharing. Maybe he could move his clip to fairness?"
If there's a misstep, it could be handled privately
and the student could set a goal for how he or she will turn
that behavior around to get back on track and self-regulating
as they travel down the Character Road.
Energy flows where attention goes, that's for sure.
What are some of the creative ways in which you incentivize
to shape those desired positive behaviors?
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Master Classroom Management
Today I'm excited because I've got three whole days {without too much planned} that I can spend digesting the treasures in this book I've been reading.
From the publisher: Dr. Jerry Evanski’s approach stems from a simple and practical idea: that classroom management is based on teaching methods that keep your students interested and engaged, not on disciplining students when they misbehave. As he says, “Poor teaching strategies can trigger behavior problems. You can prevent problems before they occur.”
Based on significant review of educational research that is sprinkled throughout the book, Dr. Evanski has developed a program that offers one simple skill a day to build a repertoire of classroom management techniques. After eight weeks, teachers have mastered 40 new skills that cover the key teaching areas of:
- Getting attention
- Keeping attention
- Engaging students
- Teaching the lesson
- Getting participation
- Giving directions
- Communicating
- Transitioning
Here is a sample of some of the skills covered in the book:
- Your Teaching Spot - Teach students to associate specific locations in your classroom with different messages—one spot for teaching, one spot for announcements, etc.
- The Big Picture – Help students establish the context for what you’re teaching by showing them how it fits into what they are learning throughout the year.
- Acknowledge the Effort – Encourage participation by teaching students how to enthusiastically acknowledge the effort of their classmates.
Why I'm loving this resource: The first thing that draws me to this book is that Dr. Evanski's ideas, many of which are backed by brain research,
exude engagement, motivation and fun. I have a feeling that educators like me will learn and grow by leaps and bounds as they tailor these tips to fit the needs of the students in their classroom families.
The second sticking point is how the book is set up, with an idea to test-drive every day of the week for eight weeks, to facilitate learning and implementation.
The third-and-equally-important reason I'm endorsing Dr. Evanski's work is that it's a tool that supports my firm belief in disciplining through proactive modeling, teaching and practicing of skills rather than with a reactive punishing of skill deficits. Isn't that what our students deserve from us? And isn't that how we hope they'll lead when they're in charge?
Check out this book; I predict it'll be a positive influence and support as you work with intention to create a culture of dignity, caring and respect in your
character building.
Friday, May 22, 2015
PPBF: I Wish You More
As graduation time comes back around,
Title: I Wish You More
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date: March 31, 2015
Suitable for: ages 5-8 (and up!)
Themes: inspiration, motivation, wishes
Brief synopsis: The words on each page in this thoughtful, inspirational gem express a wish of all things good for the reader:
Opening page: I wish you more ups than downs.
Resources:
Why I like this book: As you may know, I'm always in the market for a good book, one that will grab me and refuse to let go. So the other night when I was browsing at Barnes & Noble, I was pleasantly surprised to happen on another newbie by the dynamic duo of Rosenthal and Lichtenheld. I read it in the store, but left without a copy for my shelf because I wasn't sure I needed more books right now. I was wrong. As I reflected on my way home, I wished I'd have bought a copy, and the very next morning I went back and bought four. It's that good.
And not just for this time of year, though it'd be perfect for that special grad. I picked up a copy for myself, copies for two friends who find themselves at a crossroads in their life, and a copy to keep on hand.
I wish you more will than hill ...
who wouldn't savor hearing that right now?
And how would I use this beauty?
As a gift, I can imagine finding a complementary scripture, inspirational quote or uplifting song to write alongside the wish on each page.
In the classroom, I can imagine students making a wish page for a class book or individual booklets for parents, teachers, caregivers.
I imagine students creating a bumper sticker. Here's mine:
I imagine writing wishes on address-label-sized stickers to seal the wrap around the napkin and plastic-wear at a local fast-food place.
I imagine a visual display on which we post students' wishes for one another and for our school family.
And I imagine using this treasure as a Reader's Theater and/or performed for special guests like Grandparents or Veterans.
What do you imagine doing with this precious book of wishes?
Leave your answer in the comments, then head over to
Susanna's blog for more PPBF titles.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Motivating Your Inner Writer
You�re writing your story, maybe you�re a few days in or perhaps a few weeks, and suddenly you feel the compulsion to do the dishes. Or the laundry. Or tidy up that closet. And if, like me, you aren�t overly fond of housework or tedious chores, it may occur to you that it�s rather odd that you now feel compelled to do something you dislike rather than do the thing you�ve loved since you were a kid.
Not that writing can�t be a frustrating endeavour, but why would you actually want to do that menial job you usually find any excuse to avoid doing? Why not go do something fun? Or nothing at all? Seems a bit strange, no?
There is in fact a pretty simple reason why, and once you understand it, it can actually make it easier to get your head back in the game.
Your outer writer, the one who thinks things through and knows what needs to be done, want to get on with it�bum in seat, fingers on keyboard, brain in gear. Even if you aren�t feeling inspired and you only get a few words down, your outer writer knows that that will still help you get to the finish line.
Your inner writer, however, has other ideas. Your inner writer can be a moody so and so, and some days really can�t be bothered writing that same story you�ve been writing forever. Rewrites too? Will it never end?
When inner writer and outer writer are on the same page everything�s tickety-boo. Full steam ahead. When they�re at odds, there tends to be only one winner.
The thing you realise pretty quickly once you start writing a story, especially a novel, is that it�s going to take some time. There�s no way round it. Even if you worked around the clock it would still take several weeks at least, more likely months. And the thing about doing a difficult task is that the pay-off, the good feeling, comes at the end. You finally finish and no matter how much you hated ironing those shirts, something wells up inside of you: a sense of accomplishment.
You get that feeling from finishing a book too, it just takes a lot longer. And people tend to get impatient. But you can give yourself a shot of those good vibes by making the bed or vacuuming the hallway. Doesn�t matter how much you dislike doing it, the one thing you know for sure is that you can get it done right now. Beginning to end, all in one go. Desk untidy, ten minutes later, desk tidy. And here comes that good feeling, even if it�s only for a few seconds.
We all know some things are worth waiting for. Often the longer you have to wait the greater the pleasure when you do finally complete. We know this, but we don�t necessarily always appreciate it. When the finish line is far, far away we crave a little of that sugar sooner rather than later.
So we go do something that provides a small sense of accomplishment. Not a partial achievement, not a step along the road. Completed. Finished. Done.
You don�t get that feeling from watching telly or making a sandwich. It has to be a proper job. Like dusting the coving. As trivial as it might seem, those menial jobs are giving you a shot of well being.
You can use this knowledge to your advantage. Next time you find yourself in front of the blank page or blank screen�you know exactly what scene you need to write but those books on that shelf look like they really need rearranging into alphabetical order�take a breath, close your eyes and ask yourself how you�re going to feel once you get to the end of your story.
Don�t try to force an answer, just pose the question, and then see what emerges.
You might find yourself thinking back to the last thing you wrote, or it might be from when you folded all the towels and piled them up in the closet from largest to smallest, doesn�t really matter, the feeling is pretty much the same.
If you draw a blank, go and do that job that�s nagging on the back of your mind, and after you�ve washed all the dishes in the sink and put them away leaving a nice, clean, tidy kitchen, just stop and look around. Sit with the feeling of satisfaction for a few moments so you can use it as a frame of reference.
Now when you ask yourself how you will feel when you finish your book, that feeling (from whichever method), will not only return to your memory, it will permeate your entire body and give you a lift. You don�t have to do anything with it, just let it remind you what the goal here is.
Now go back to the blank page. Chances are you will be reinvigorated and ready to write. I can�t guarantee it of course. There are no guarantees in this game, but hopefully you will find this technique of some help.
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Monday, February 17, 2014
A Protagonist�s Moment of Realisation
At some point in a story a character will realise that he�s got to do what he�s got to do. There�s no turning back.
This can happen at any time. On the first page, just before the climax, or anywhere in between�it doesn�t really matter as long as it makes sense within the story. The important thing is for the reader to see this moment so they understand how the character feels and why.
It isn�t enough to just assume the character�s reasons will be taken for granted or accepted without question.
A cop doing his job, a girl wanting to get married, a soldier following orders�these things may seem self-explanatory but when motivations are too broad they apply to such a large number of people that they become effectively meaningless.
So here are three approaches to separating a character from the crowd, and pitfalls to avoid.
Emotional attachment
If you can demonstrate that a character is emotionally invested in achieving their goal then readers will accept even the unlikeliest of events.
If a doctor is searching for a cure to a disease that�s killing babies, then it�s not hard to understand the motivation. If she�s searching for a cure to a disease killing her own baby, then it shifts to a whole other level.
If the Secret Service agent called in to find the President�s kidnapped daughter also happens to be her ex-husband, you may roll your eyes and consider it highly unlikely, but you won�t question why he disobeys orders and takes on the terrorists single-handed.
The cheese factor is something you will have to gauge for yourself. It�s possible to create subtle or realistic emotional attachments for your characters, of course, but my point is any level of personal involvement is better than none.
Bait and switch
A more complex strategy is to give the character a perfectly reasonable motivation for what they�re doing and then reveal the actual reason as the story develops.
The character thinks he�s going to assassinate Hitler to help the war effort, but it turns out he wants revenge for his brother�s death in a POW camp.
This reveal can be as much of a surprise to the character as to the reader, in fact it often works best that way, but it�s also important to put some doubt into the narrative.
If the reader buys the original reason wholesale they might easily assume the story is going to be simplistic and obvious. They don�t know what you have planned. You can get round this by planting seeds of doubt either through the character questioning his own motivations or getting a secondary question to raise those questions.
The key part of this approach is to make sure the reader is present for the switch. The process of change is what readers want to see.
Reverse Psychology
This one�s a bit of a trick. If you establish a character as definitely not being the type to give a damn or who wants no part in any adventure, then readers will automatically assume they�re going to see a reversal.
A girl with no interest in love, a lawyer who doesn�t care about his clients, an ex-con determined to go straight�you just know they�re going to get dragged into something that will force them to re-evaluate their goals.
It�s very easy to resort to clich�s (as you can see from the examples I just used) but any kind of determination to not get involved is fun to see get turned around. And it has a built in narrative device: when you convince the character they can�t carry on the way they would like you automatically convince the reader of the same thing.
In all three of the above methods the impact is greatest when you show realisation emerge. In that instant when the character grasps why they have to do it the reader will find it much easier to get on board, and at the same time form empathy for the character.
That said, it�s perfectly possible to establish the character�s motivations without showing how they arrived there. You could have your jaded female lead tell her best friend she�s decided to catch herself a millionaire husband and list the reasons why. Not very elegant but there are many bestsellers that start out that blunt and direct.
The thing about emotional connections are that they don�t have to be subtle or original. That�s why corny adverts can still bring a tear to your eye.
A cop who�s on his last day before retirement and doesn�t want any problems gets handed the murder of a young girl who turns out to be the daughter of an old army buddy. He hunts down the killer but slowly realises it�s his fractured relationship with his own wayward teenage daughter that he�s really concerned about.
In the above example I used all three of my suggested approaches and in the most clich�d ways possible. If you haven�t seen that story before then quite frankly you aren�t watching enough direct to DVD movies. And yet it makes no difference. You may not be interested in his story, but you will not question his motives.
I can�t tell you why your character does what he does, but my point is that as long as you�re aware that certain elements have a significant effect on the reader you can make the most of them.
Once you identify the moment of realisation for your character, making it happen in the story, showing its trigger and the changes it affects in the main character will all greatly enhance the reader�s understanding of the character.
If you found this post useful please give it a retweet. Cheers.
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