Motivation in the classroom

Motivation is the feeling someone gets when they have the desire to do something, it is the push that gives you strength to do something. What motivates students? I believe motivation comes from all areas in a students life. Lets start in the classroom. If the students don't feel comfortable in the environment they are not going to participate and they will lack the desire to work hard. If a classroom gives the student the opportunity to be themselves they will shine! Giving the students choices will give them the feeling that they are part of their education. I strongly believe this will increase the motivation level.

Parents and family are also a major part of motivation. I believe parents play a major role in the education of a child. School is the biggest part of being a child, you learn and grow and in times like that a strong support system is needed. Students want to make their parents happy or get their attention and having parents who go watch a play or listen to Christmas concert help the students strive. Siblings are also a great impact in someone's life. Ever since my brother was born I have worked extra hard to show him that anyone can achieve their dream; it is just a matter of dedication and working hard. He is my motivation. Friends can also motivate a student; if someone is there to give you that encouragement you will work hard to prove to them they were right!

I think motivation is a necessity, especially for students. They want to know someone will feel pride in their work!




Here is an interesting site, it has some tips on how to motivate students and many other things!

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#motivating

Check this out!
http://www.quia.com/

Fun ways to teach and have fun!

MY Access!!!

Today we used MY Access which is the next best thing since sliced bread! This is an amazing program that allows students to improve their writing skills. MY Access offers various resources to help students with organization, spell check and many other writing needs. Students are able to receive feed back on their work and the really fun part is that they can receive it in their native language! That is just amazing! MY Access checks for any violence or threats and will let the teacher know. Teachers can also change the grades if they believe it should be different!

This program is a great way to motivate students and to help improve their writing. Students can write narrative, persuasive and other types of essays. MY Access offers Venn diagrams and many other sources students can use to brainstorm their thoughts before writing. Students are also able to revise their work and use the feed back to make their essays stronger. Teachers are able to see the students essays, scores and leave their own comments!

I loved MY Access!

No child left behind

In our last class we discussed the "NCLB" which stands for No Child Left Behind. This is a very controversial subject. I have a nine year old brother and we receive papers every year about "NCLB" but I never really looked into the specifics of this act. I knew that schools had to meet yearly requirements but I had no idea they would have federal funds removed! I don't see how that helps a situation. I believe schools like that need that extra help and motivation. I can understand that it is like a consequence for not achieving the goals but I think it is much harder to achieve when your are deprived of what you already had.

I wish every school could be equally equipped but unfortunately this is not the case; some schools are more fortunate than others. All students are equal and should have the same opportunities.

Here is what Hillary Clinton has to say about "NCLB".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayKEnypvtU

Lesson Plans!

It seems like every time I write a lesson plan I get a little carried away. I worried about writing my first Unit for Principles and Techniques because I couldn't measure the time I would need for each activity. I prepared what I wanted to teach and what activities I would work on with the students in order to help them understand the material better and in a fun way. I put a lot of thought into it and I decided "Simon Says" in Spanish would be a great way to learn parts of the body! I added some music and even Jeopardy!

I worried about my assessment portion of the lessons because I am not exactly sure how I would assess my students in order to see if they understand the material. I came to the conclusion that with time and understanding each student I will know how to assess and measure their understanding. Not everyone will be the same and I may have to assess in various forms. I was also worried about teaching to the "Multiple Intelligences". I needed to figure out how to incorporate all of them into a lesson so that all my students could enjoy and understand the lesson. I worked on visual aids, music, group work, and many other ideas.

I received my unit back and I was a little nervous to look at it, but when I did I was very happy!

Teaching to the test

Education is not teaching by the book or a specific subject. Education includes teaching a child to respect, be responsible, care, appreciate and even love. It is so hard to fit this in when teachers are at a race with time, they must teach their students the necessary material that will be on the standardized tests. Teachers are put under pressure and stress because they have to fit all the information into their curriculum.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/policy/story/0,,1825326,00.html