1. Understanding and Motivating Students
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding and Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther
We all see the same thing differently
Vase of flowers- draw what it means to you
Show Georgia O’Keefe, Picaso

2. Do you know a student who
seeks attention or is susceptible to peer pressure?
seeks power to control others or is defiant?
seeks revenge or hurts others?
gives up easily or avoids tasks?
Why do you think some children become successful and others do not?
Think/pair share
Research
National Longitudinal Study- children in trouble feel isolated, useless to society and powerless
They do not have an internal certainty about themselves that can serve as a guides for behavior.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

3. Motivate Students By Giving Them What They Need
The Four C’s
Connection-
having the sense of belonging
Capability
-having the ability to take
care of oneself
Counting
-having the knowledge that one
can make a difference
Four Vital connections – what are they?
Can you think of what students need?
Do they need to belong? What ”C” word would that be?
-believing one can handle what comes
Courage
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

4. Motivate Students By Giving Them What They Need
The Four C’s
Connection-having the sense of belonging
Capability—having the ability to take care of oneself
Counting—having the knowledge that one can make a difference
Courage—believing one can handle what comes
Four Vital connections – what are they?
Can you think of what students need?
Do they need to belong? What ”C” word would that be?
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

5. What are you currently doing to help your students feel…
connected?
capable?
as though they count?
courageous?
Use shield as a graphic organizer
List what you are currently doing
Use to take notes as you discuss with a partner and participate in whole group discussion so that shield has as many ideas as possible of things you can do. Give one- take two.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

6. The Need to be Connected
Survival depends on our ability to bond.
Through development we must move from total dependency to interdependency.
Move from being dependent, to being someone upon whom others can depend.
Children who don’t connect in constructive ways feel insecure/isolated, seek attention and are more susceptible to peer pressure.
Rope activity from Anne
Create chain of
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

7. “I believe that I belong.”
Connections
Children who feel
connected…
feel secure
can reach out
can make friends
can cooperate
“I believe that I belong.”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

8. The Need to Develop Competence and Feel Capable
Upon moving from dependence to interdependence, one must develop the ability to be independent (some degree of self-sufficiency in performing certain tasks).
The foundation of feeling competent and capable comes with the ability to take care of oneself.
Children who don’t feel capable may try to seek power, control others and/or become defiant.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

9. “I believe I can do that.”
Capable
Children who believe
they are capable…
feel competent
have self-control and self-discipline
assume responsibility.
are self-reliant
“I believe I can do that.”
“I can” activity from Vickie Davis
Naming strengths of self and partner if know one another
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

10. The Need for Significance- The Belief That One Counts
We want to feel we make a difference, that our existence matters.
People who don’t believe they count through constructive means try to prove that they count through negative means. They may seek revenge and hurt others.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

11. “I believe that I matter and I can make a difference.”
Counts
Children who believe they count…
feel valuable
believe they can make a difference
believe they can contribute
“I believe that I matter and I can make a difference.”
On the invitation to this workshop, ask every participant to bring a can of food or have a box of cards and have each participant address and sign one to be sent to a soldier, veteran in a hospital or person in a nursing home.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

12. The Need for Courage To take risks requires courage.
Children without courage focus on what they can’t do. They often give up and avoid.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

13. “I believe that I can handle what comes.”
Courage
Children who have
courage…
overcome fear
feel equal, confident, and hopeful
handle challenges; are resilient
are willing to try
“I believe that I can handle what comes.”
Langston Hughes poem “Life is Good”- jazz music
Graphic organizer
Title of poem- 4 rays- write a stanza and picture on each ray
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

14. What might you do to help your students develop a sense of…
connectedness?
capability?
worth? (counting)
courage?
Think-pair-share
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

15. Essential Skills for Academic Success
Children need to be able to communicate effectively in order to connect constructively.
Children need self-discipline to become capable.
Children need to believe that they count and make a difference if they are going to be willing to assume responsibility.
Children need good judgment if they are going to use courage wisely and safely.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

16. Getting a Need Met
When children succeed in getting a need met, they gain courage for future tasks.
When children experience only failure, they lose some of their courage and become timid of future tasks.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

17. Misbehavior
Children who don’t feel connected, capable or that they count, develop misbehaviors.
When children don’t get their needs met in constructive ways they find unconstructive ways to feed their needs.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

18. Misbehavior Students who feel not connected not capable
they don’t count
no courage
Act out by
seeking attention
seeking power
seeking revenge
seeking avoidance
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

19. Please Remember Misbehavior is NOT the problem.
Misbehavior is the student’s attempt to find a solution for a problem they feel they have.
We have to help children find alternative solutions.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

20. Helping Students Reflect on Purpose of Behavior
Possible questions
“Do you know why you________ (describe specific behavior)?”
“May I tell you what I think?”
Helps confirms hypothesis about behavior
Helps students feel understood
Will not be effective if you punish or accuse
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

21. Questions Related to Specific Behaviors
Attention
“Could it be that you would like people to notice you?”
“Could it be that you would like more of my time?”
Power
“Could it be that you want to show people that you can do what you want?”
“Could it be that you want to show people that they can’t make you do what they want?”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

22. Questions Related to Specific Behaviors
Revenge
“Could it be that you sometimes feel that others are hurting you and you want to show them how it feels by hurting them back?”
“Could it be that you feel others treat you unfairly and you want to get even?”
Avoidance
“Could it be that you’re convinced that you will never measure up and you would rather not try at all and perhaps you wish people would just leave you alone?”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

23. Teacher Interventions: Demanding Attention (Connection)
Minimize the attention given to misbehavior
Notice behaviors you want to encourage
Act, don’t talk
Act before there is a problem
Assign jobs that get positive attention by being helpful to others
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

24. Teacher Interventions: Seeking Power (Capability)
Think about what YOU can do rather than what THEY should do
When correcting, focus on the behavior not the child
Don’t allow situations to escalate
Give student real responsibilities
When possible, decide on rules as a class
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

25. Teacher Interventions: Seeking Revenge (Count)
Make a list of positives about the child
Refuse to retaliate, escalate or humiliate
Before trying to resolve conflicts, allow for cooling off period for both of you
Offer lots of chances for the child to help others
Share responsibility for solving problems with the child
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

26. Teacher Interventions: Practicing Avoidance (Courage)
Create learning experiences from mistakes
Set students up for success
Recognize effort and small improvements
Teach positive self-talk
Don’t give up
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

27. Encourage vs. Praise?
Encouragement-instilling courage by helping students see their strengths and developing a belief in themselves
Praise—pointing out what we think he/she does well
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

28. Helping Students Feel Connected
Provide opportunities for cooperative interactions
Show an interest in each student
Give positive attention
Find and recognize strengths and talents
Show acceptance—separate the deed from the doer
Send cards, messages, homework to absent students
Conduct classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

29. Helping Students Feel Capable
Create learning experiences from mistakes
Build confidence
Offer participation in classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

30. Helping Students Feel They Count
Through contributions
By helping one another (peer tutoring)
By helping the community
Through recognition
Through participation in classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

31. Helping Students Feel Courageous
Don’t expect perfection of self or others
Point to strengths, not weaknesses
Don’t make comparisons with others
Ask questions of student
Ask questions of yourself
Allow students to experience natural consequences
Avoid criticism
Through participation in classroom meetings
Pg 64
Imagine for a moment that you are asked to leave your classroom and your students are asked to describe you. What words do you hope they would use? What words do you think they would use? What images do you think are important to project as a teacher?
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

32. The Three R’s of Logical Consequence
Related logically to misbehavior
Respectful in order to avoid humiliation (firm and kind)
Reasonable—logical and understood by adult and student
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

33. What will you do in order to understand and motivate your students?
How will you help them feel…
connected?
capable?
as though they count?(worthy)
courageous?
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther