PART 2: CHAPTER 3: How traditional grading stifles risk-taking and supports the “commodity of grades”
CHAPTER 3: How traditional grading stifles risk-taking and supports the “commodity of grades”
In this chapter, we'll discuss the following questions:
How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
Post your answer to the questions above in the comment section here by clicking "Enter you comment" > choose "name/URL" in the drop down menu and add your name before typing your comment and clicking publish.
Comment on two peers' posts by clicking "reply" > choose "name/URL" in the drop down menu underneath their posts and add your name. Participants are required to comment on one " I notice...." and one " I wonder..." on two peers' reflections in each chapter.
1. How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
ReplyDeleteI have had supervisors who have responded differently to mistakes I’ve made. Some have lectured me without an opportunity to share my perspective while others have been nurturing and supportive to learn from my mistakes. I have learned that in a school climate where administrators are motivating and fair, I am willing to take risks and try innovative learning activities. From the reading, I learned that by grading formative assessments for completion, I may be penalizing students who don’t have enough knowledge to answer the questions correctly and thus won’t complete the assignments. This semester, I will be implementing a new Unrulr feature called “prompts” that will now sync to Google Classroom. This new practice will hopefully help students to continue using Unrulr to share videos, links, and reflections on their learning and also use Google Classroom to organize all of their submissions. The submissions won’t be graded because I want students to be comfortable sharing their learning but Unrulr and Google Classroom will help them to keep track of the progress they are making.
2. Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
I found it interesting to learn that secondary students who are motivated extrinsically by points and letter grades do this because they have been trained to do so from elementary school. A change in my practice will be to have students emphasize self-reflections and peer comments rather than the formative marks and summative scores that our school requires of us. These “points” can still be assigned as a quick glance for students but the priority will be on the feedback that will lead to growth in learning. I will implement reminders in our daily agenda for students to look through the progress updates that their peers post in Unrulr and provide detailed and relevant feedback.
3. Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.” If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
I don’t believe this theory but if I did it might be possible to test this theory with a summer school course or an after-school program where learning is not attached to formal report card grades and promotion to the next grade level.
4. How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
The use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged is not an effective way to support authentic learning. Using points to encourage students to participate in class or to behave better will greatly weaken the teacher-student relationship because students will only value the teacher as the “points giver.” The goal is to build strong relationships where students value learning and appreciate the guidance that the teacher is providing through intrinsic motivation.
Hi Zachary! I noticed that you had a good theory to test point systems in summer school to see if it will work but not on a formal grade level. This makes sense since most kids are not motivated to go to summer school and maybe a point system could either boost their motivation or totally drop all motivation. I wonder what would happen if summer school was completely un-graded but you just got to learn what you wanted to learn about. Would students be more or less motivated to come to class.
DeleteAloha Zachary! I noticed that you said that you want to emphasize self-reflections and peer comments rather than the formative marks and summative scores that your school requires. You also mentioned that “points” can still be assigned as a quick glance for students but the priority will be on the feedback that will lead to growth in learning. I wonder if you can expound on the point system that you will use. I also have students do self-reflection and peer review but have not tied it to any point or grade system. I wonder if I can make it more effective by doing so.
DeleteZach, I noticed you picked up on the lack of establishment of a true relationship when teacher awards points for behavior. I wonder if there are other ways to acknowledge the demonstration of desired behavior without a point system so that students know they are on the right track but not monetizing their behavior so that the student-teacher relationship isn't so transactional.
DeleteSome teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.” If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
DeleteZach, you say: "I don’t believe this theory but if I did it might be possible to test this theory with a summer school course or an after-school program where learning is not attached to formal report card grades and promotion to the next grade level." Getting students to have intrinsic motivation is really a challenge when points are not useful in anyway (other than that final grade). If other kinds of incentives or feedback can be given to make intrinsic motivation grow (like compliments from a current school crush) can be part of the education system, then we may have more success.
How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
ReplyDeleteI have rarely been observed in my classroom to the extent that a supervisor would respond to a perceived mistake. During formal observations, if I have to deviate from a lesson plan, I don’t necessarily consider that a mistake. Truthfully, here are very few people whose opinions I care about. When a mistake has impacted my effectiveness the person that is hardest on me is me. In the classroom my professional peers aren’t around to witness any mistakes as they are busy teaching their own classes. I think that I am very helpful to myself when I make a mistake. I think the process through, what happened, the events that led up to what happened, and how I could have responded differently for a different result. I realize that it can come across as arrogant, but I try my best to minimize and foresee mistakes to make sure that they don’t happen. Small mistakes don’t bother me and feedback and corrections on grammar and/or clarification doesn’t bother me at all - however, I only solicit feedback from people that I care about / respect. If I receive unsolicited feedback from those people I take it into consideration, but if I receive unsolicited feedback from people who don’t matter to me, then the feedback doesn’t matter.
Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
The main thing I can think of learning outside of the school context that has just totally taken over my life is parenting. Obviously the stakes are higher with parenting and the motivation is that I want to raise my children to have a strong moral compass and a solid understanding of who they are and who they want to be that can’t be seriously affected by the people who don’t or shouldn’t matter to them.
Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.” If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
I think this is easily testable by removing any given points system from the classroom.
How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
I don’t think that secondary students are so fragile that their relationships with adults and self-concept about whether school is for them is affected simply by a grading system based on points. It’s really difficult for me to accept such a statement as a blanket truth as I am proof that such a blanket statement is inappropriate. Points didn’t motivate me in K-12, nothing motivated me. I hated school and points versus no points were irrelevant. Most of the work that teachers wanted me to do was busy work anyway. Yet, in spite of my attitude toward school I somehow had pretty decent relationships with my teachers and other adults in my life and my self-concept was totally unaffected by the grades that appeared on my report card and the points that I did or did not accumulate in a given class. I can see how some students could possibly be affected in that way, but I would argue that there is a much deeper issue at hand if a student is so deeply affected by “points”.
I really love your thoughts on parenting! I noticed you said it took over your life! I have 2 kids and feel the same way. I think we are constantly learning and figuring out how to teach our own kids while we are teachers. And we want to do this, because we have intrinsic motivation to raise our kids well and love them. I think that is one of the main points in the book, that we will work and do things that we have a strong intrinsic motivation for. I wonder, what solutions we can offer students that do not have this drive? How do we discover it?
DeleteAloha! I notice you describe yourself as supportive when you make mistakes. I also notice that you only ask for feedback from those you respect. I really like your philosophy here! I am sorry you did not have the best experience in your earlier education- but you obviously still learned valuable lessons along the way! I wonder how many of our students feel exactly like you did when you were younger 'most work was busy work anyway'?
DeleteNicholete,
DeleteI noticed that you are not buying that a point system/grading system does not allow for teachers and students to have a trusting relationship. Regardless of my point system, my classroom has high engagement and my students and I have a positive relationship. so I see your point. My panorama data supports this statement. I am wondering if I adjust my grading system will my student/ teacher relationship be strengthened and will motivation increase. I am interested to see if students become more self-directed.
Nicholete, I don't think it's arrogant to dismiss others opinions of your professional decision making. You know best. "During formal observations, if I have to deviate from a lesson plan, I don’t necessarily consider that a mistake. Truthfully, here are very few people whose opinions I care about. When a mistake has impacted my effectiveness the person that is hardest on me is me. In the classroom my professional peers aren’t around to witness any mistakes as they are busy teaching their own classes. I think that I am very helpful to myself when I make a mistake. I think the process through, what happened, the events that led up to what happened, and how I could have responded differently for a different result. "
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ReplyDelete1. When thinking of different supervisors I’ve had in my professional career, I think of one positive and one negative. I will start with the negative supervisor. During my work in Early Intervention, I had one supervisor who immediately started to critique my work from the moment she started. She did not build rapport with her staff or gain any respect before immediately telling us what we were doing wrong when writing reports. Even if I had made a mistake, I was immediately defensive and defiant. She never proved to us that she had more knowledge than us and I did not respect her. I did not like getting told what to do since I had been writing those reports much longer than the supervisor had even been in Hawaii. She made our team feel micromanaged and brought us all together against a common enemy. Her approach was very ineffective and eventually she figured out it was not the right job for her.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I had a very respected and knowledgeable supervisor when I worked on Maui. She immediately bonded with me and respected my background and knowledge. She led by example and was the hardest working person I ever met. She always knew the answers to tough questions and when I made mistakes, I quickly wanted to fix them to not only better myself but to prove to her that I was a good employee. I wanted to learn from her and in turn worked very hard at the job while I was there. I also imagine myself being a manager similar to her.
2. I remember learning how to surf when I was in college and more so when I moved to Hawaii. My friends were there learning with me and it was so much fun. I would have to say that what motivated me most for surfing was the bond of friendship formed during those times and my pure enjoyment of the ocean. When I struggle, which I still do with surfing, I feel this motivation deep in me to keep going and not give up. I now surf with my children and husband. I don’t want to be left out and not feel that connection with them and the ocean if I didn’t surf. I think my fear of missing out helps to motivate me to continue to try hard things and not give up.
3. I do believe that sometimes points can motivate you as a student to learn a task, especially a task that you will not have to learn again once you know how to do it. I use the example of Accelerated Reader (AR) points for my son. He was hesitant and did not love reading when he was in 1st grade. He started to have to read books for AR points by 2nd grade (earn certain percentages by each week). At first the points would stress him out, but eventually due to having to complete a certain amount of points weekly, he noticed that if he read chapter books that he would get more points. Eventually this led to him finding a series of books that he truly loved and started him on his true love of reading. He is now in 3rd grade, reads giant chapter books for pleasure, and is always way beyond the points he has to earn for his AR percentage. He doesn’t stop reading when he has gotten his points, but the point system did help him to find his love of reading.
4. This is a very ethical and difficult question. I do think that points can motivate even the least engaged student, but taking away points should never be an option. Keeping a positive momentum has always seemed to keep motivation up. As a special education teacher, I feel like differentiating your expectations for students that are unmotivated, to then motivate them is okay at first. Even having a one to one sit down with the student to see where they think can succeed and starting them there is so important. Judging every kid the same way will unmotivate some students that are having those challenges to keep up. This will also build respect and confidence in the student that you are on their side, that you want them to succeed and will help them to make that happen.
I noticed in your answer you broke down 2 types of teachers, positive and negative. I think most people, are like you and appreciate teachers that were open to discussion and not just ready to criticize. When you mentioned that, I thought of some of old teachers and the ones that I really liked. I wonder if all teachers need to self-reflect and really look at how we treat our students. We might come to conclusions were are uncomfortable with. But we all need to look in the mirror to make improvements.
DeleteAloha Beth- I noticed that you reflected on your supervisors reactions to your mistakes and as I read them I could see that you still have very vivid memories of both the good and the bad. I feel that evaluation of supervisors is very important for developing and maintaining good leadership. I wonder if teachers have students in their classes evaluate them aside from the Panorama survey or any other survey that the school administers? If we as teachers had a simple, yet more personalized survey that students could take about our leadership style and responses to students, would that be an effective way for us to reflect on how we teach and respond to students?
DeleteAloha Beth! I noticed that you stated that points could motivate a student to learn a task and also presented a right-on-target example of how points have cultivated the internal motivation of your son. I definitely agree with you in this situation. Indeed, if points could be used strategically in a specific situation, it would be a tool to at least keep a student going in learning a certain skill which will eventually develop his interest, and thus will be internally motivated. I just really wonder how we could set up a better grading system where points still play a role in the achievement of authentic learning.
DeleteMahalo for your insights!
Beth, I noticed that you spoke of Accelerated Reader points being a motivational tool for your son. While I am glad that he is seeming to find some motivation by being awarded the points, I can't help but wonder how we then can transition the students away from reading in an effort to gain points but rather to read for the pure love of reading and the desire to learn a new perspective or content.
Delete1. Supervisors that have cared about my growth have always been honest and provided honest feedback. I think the ones that I really respected gave me feedback that was respectful but also with the heart that 'hey your'e doing good, keep making mistakes, we still support you' kind of attitude. I felt it was okay to make mistakes and ghty got my back, I felt more confident in doing my job/activity. On the other hand, if I felt the feedback was really critical and came from a place of not caring (like a coach screaming at me) then I found I would do my job grudgingly. Sometimes, I was afraid to make mistakes. Having helpful responses definitely put a spark into my effectiveness. It gives me energy and confidence to do my job. When responses are unhelpful, I think I can be effective, but it takes the joy out of learning.
ReplyDelete2. This is funny because my parents signed my up for piano when I was 5 years old. I quit after one year. I was not interested in music or learning songs like, Mary had a Little Lamb. However, I got older in highschool, I loved listening to music. Suddenly, I wanted to learn how to play songs like Yesterday by the Beatles, or some Elton John stuff. What motivated me to learn was a strong desire for something I had passion for. Even though I could not read music, my hands were agile, and I slowly, I mean slowly learned to play by ear. It was a struggle. But I saw progress. I learned bar by bar and learned how to hold chords on the piano. My hands developed muscle memory and the chords were sounding sweater. As I made baby steps, I felt a real sense of satisfaction. Today, I am still playing piano!
3. Perhaps for my art class points could be used throughout the day. Like being in class on time and proceeding to do your bell work quietly, points! After my art lecture, I have room for questions and discussion. Anyone that participates, points! Then we move on to actually the studio time in art class. Points can be awarded to those who complete the drawing of the day. Lastly, clean up. Clean desks, no rubbish on the ground, points! I think points are good only to help curb or modify behavior in a difficult classroom. I think really do believe that in the long run, intrinsic motivation is what students need.
4. Well, points and grades do not really motivate those who are least engaged. They are not effective in motivating students, because it makes students feel small and micromanaged. For example, if a non engaged student is having a hard time with answers, using points only increases their anxiety. If they get say 1/2 the math problems correct, they will get 50% and an F. This subtraction feeds into their brains that "I have to be perfect" to get good grades. Accordingly, this makes them more afraid of mistake and students become less of a risk-takers. They view teachers as the holders of all the grades. So now their goal is to get points from the teacher. This can lead to cheating or plagiarism, just to pass a class. Learning goes out the window if you just want a grade. Another factor is the the teacher student relationship. If students do not feel that teachers care, the student's concept of school and education goes down the drain. Working relationships are key, for both parties. Thus, a masterful teacher is one that can relay in the classroom, compassion, care, and enthusiasm.
Hi Jeff! I noticed you said that points can take away from students being "risk-takers." I believe you are correct in that sense, I know I do not take risks if I'm being graded on points. I just always want the most points possible with the least risk or effort. I wonder if we can just somehow motivate the students without using points but still show progress and mastery of specific ideas. Math would be a perfect start to using just mastery and not points to show completion of work. I'm sure the book will go in to more details in the next chapters.
DeleteI noticed you’re an art teacher; and that you mentioned behavior is difficult to manage; are you a high school teacher? It would be interesting to observe how a point system would be implemented in an art class. It sounds like points are awarded for behavioral actions. I wonder what motivation and intrinsic attitude towards learning art looks like in a classroom? Is it similar to how you grew an interest in piano later on in your life? Thank you for sharing!
DeleteHi Jeff! I noticed you said a points system would be good to help modify behavior in difficult classrooms. I've been thinking about what the book said about point systems and how it breaks down the relationships with students, but I've been using a points based rewards system since I first started teaching! First, because I love Harry Potter and I thought it'd be a fun competition between periods, but second, because I did want an extrinsic motivator to help me as a new teacher. I haven't tried a year without it because students have always told the incoming students to look forward to it, and I'm still attached to Harry Potter, but I am rethinking it all! But I appreciate that you said that there are some instances where points based rewards systems can be useful! I agree with you though that it needs to go hand in hand with the idea that teachers care about you regardless of how many points you do or do not earn, and that's truly the best behavior management system there is.
DeleteI have always been a type of person who responded best through positive reinforcements; and definitely not criticism. When I’m told I’m not doing something correctly, my innate response is to defend my opinion and rebuttal all other opinions. In my self-reflection, I would prefer to naturally accept criticism for growth and flexibility, but I struggle with it. In terms of creating an environment in the classroom that allows mistakes to happen, it also needs to be supported with the acceptance of correction and understanding, which requires hard word.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest motivating factor to learn and continue to learn is to have an interest in an activity. Mistakes teach us what we did incorrectly and then learn how it works in order to fix it. As a very competitive person, my motivation is to be proficient at what I do, which requires building a solid foundation, adding on to it, and then compete with others who are doing the same activity. The connection to the classroom is to find a motivating activity that students want to master and compete. The motivation needs to be built from within, which is the golden ticket. Points that are rewarded to students create a competitive atmosphere; as long as it’s not utilized as a part of their learning growth and understanding, but as a competitive motivator.
I do not believe points should be directly related to academic success. Points can be used to initiate competition and a visual prompt for good choices during the school day. Success is discovered through teacher praise, clear boundaries for positive and negative reinforcement, and hard work - grit.
Points to extrinsically motivate students to teach soft skills, in my opinion, is ok. I agree that using points to motivate students for a grade, or a part of their final grade, is not ok. Points are used as a visual que that reminds and prompts students of their behaviors in class and are rewarded/penalized for their choices. Alongside the accumulation of points, I always praise their choices to earn back the “visual” points by making an effort for correction. I use a point system that is strictly for behavior management, not as a part of a grade. I use the points as data for behavior choices throughout the day. In my system, points are initially provided equally, then can be increased for positive choices, and decreased by mistakes that can be earned back with better choices and always linked with my praise. Again, this point system is strictly for behavior, not academic grades.
Mistakes are always encouraged in my classroom; I verbalize it daily, I encourage students to volunteer, I use positive language to encourage confidence, I never negatively respond to mistakes - but praise their efforts instead of focusing on their mistake. Mistakes should never be a part of the final grading; the final product should be graded and not the path you took to get there.
Aloha Matthew. I noticed that you reflected on how you typically respond better with positive reinforcement. I also respond better when my mistakes are pointed out in a positive manner. Like you, I become defensive when people express my flaws. I like how you said students should be praised for effort as opposed to focusing on their mistakes in a negative way. I wonder how our grading systems and interactions with students need to adapt to make this happen?
ReplyDeleteDifferent supervisors have responded to my mistakes via interpersonal discussions or providing me written feedback. I have had lots of observations from administrators and other coworkers here at school. I always welcome constructive criticism because if there is a better way, show me, and I will try it! Typically peer observations result in written feedback. Our school tends to begin with the positive remarks first, and then lead into ways to improve upon.
ReplyDeleteSupportive responses expressed with a caring attitude have allowed me to learn from my mistakes, reflect on what caused the error, and how to prevent the same mistake again.
I had one boss at a restaurant always belittle me and other employees when we made mistakes. This made me feel inadequate and unworthy to work there. Of course I wanted to please the boss, so I tried my best to never make the same mistake twice.
Teachers need to be cautious with words, especially when pointing out mistakes. I find it is best to question the student: Do you think that sounds correct? Allowing students to discover their flaws helps them also correct their mistakes. I feel this is the most effective way to learn for students because it truly does work.
I remember learning how to ski for the first time when I was 9 years old. My stepfather was an avid skier and decided to take us kids on a family trip to the slopes. He enrolled us in a ski class for minors with an excellent, and very patient ski instructor. I was motivated to learn how to ski because I wanted to be able to glide down the mountain with all the pro skiers. The ski instructor listened and encouraged us to do our best.
When I find myself struggling to learn, I am motivated to try a different pathway, kind of like a different ski run down the same mountain. Everyone rides the same lift to the top of the mountain, and all will eventually come back to the bottom, yet sometimes we need a different perspective to help us find our way through the task. With all my years in education, I was able to conquer new skills by simply applying myself, staying focused, and intrinsically motivating myself to learn new things. Teachers have inspired and motivated me to learn more. Classmates have also served as motivation to learn something new and overcome struggles along the way.
I do not believe this statement or the theory within it. Of course students are highly motivated by earning points in a classroom setting. However, I do not feel this transforms into becoming self-motivated and successful citizens of the world. I try to remind my students that points are not the point of learning. Instead, knowledge and being able to apply the content language in a real life situation is our goal!
Points are ineffective for unmotivated and disengaged students. The disengaged and or unmotivated group of students need more than a score on any particular assignment. This subgroup of students really need their teachers to encourage them to put in some effort to become proficient. I find it is helpful to circulate around the room and work with these particular students individually. Most respond well one-on-one with myself as opposed to ridiculing their lack of effort and or mistakes in front of their peers.
Using a point scale grading system can impact a student’s relationship with their teachers, counselors, and or parents on a daily basis. There have been instances when I post a score into Infinite Campus and within 5 minutes, I receive an email or phone call from either a parent or student. Adding or subtracting to a student’s grade by the use of a point scale system, really can either pull a student further into the curriculum or actually deter them from future effort. Some students are obsessed with grades and really stress themselves too much on earning a perfect score. Instead, teachers must remind students that it is okay to make mistakes as long as they reflect and learn in the process.
I noticed you mentioned that you receive feedback through written and interpersonal discussions, that's great that your supervisors offer feedback in this manner. I had a really good instructional coach that would do the 5 to 1, five positive to one negative feedback; then I started to use this with my students. It's struggle to find three of positive things without listing the simple ones, "thank you for attending, having your paper and pencil, and keeping quiet so others can learn...but can you turn off your phone and place it in your bag because you haven't started on the worksheet in front of you and we went over the answers for the first five problems together." I need work on giving constructive criticism or encouragement.
DeleteI wonder if placing the students that feel disengaged or unmotivated into pairs to work together on activities/worksheets along with you versus individually. I've done this in the past and present which helped the students engage with someone that would validate their struggles and responses. I found this easier to check their understanding and work progress.
Hi Melissa.... I notice that you use questioning to support students in working through their challenges. I also notice that you circulate the classroom to support students with their individual needs. I believe these are great instructional strategies and I wonder if they work for all of your students. I do these things as well but still struggle to meet the needs of all of my middle school music students. I wonder if making the grades/points/scores in Infinite Campus as not calculated as part of the grade, would prevent students and parents from stressing about grades.
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ReplyDeleteHow have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
I have a hard time with this question because I don’t have any really memorable experiences with mistakes. Perhaps that is a good sign - I know that I’ve made mistakes and learned from them, but I didn’t really need others to comment on it unless they helped me with how to deal with those mistakes, I guess because of that, I learned what to do in such situations, and how to own up to such mistakes. I don’t quite remember unhelpful responses, but I’m pretty sure that I just get mad and defensive when people comment on any weaknesses (think teacher evaluation each year for my first three years).
Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
I think that something I started doing outside of school is golf. I took golf lessons when I was in elementary school. To this day, I play occasionally with my father. I was never actually very good when I took lessons though. My friend and I were probably the worst students, and we played around alot - made many mistakes, and probably never fully fixed our swings. I didn’t mind so much though because it was still pretty fun. We never did it as a competition, just playing around. That is how I continued it with my father - for fun. Years later, little by little, I finally understood some of the things my golf instructor taught me. How to adjust my swing finally made sense because I could feel my body in those particular moments. I think what motivates me to continue playing/learning and improving, is that I am looking forward to having fun with my father on the course - mistakes - sandtraps, water hazards, and other OBs included.
Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
I don’t think this is actually what teachers think when they use point systems. In many cases, I think the main reason for point systems is out of necessity. I think one of the real questions is: How do I motivate students to even attempt to do this work now so that when they realize the importance of it, or even encounter it in the future, they have a foundation of skill sets? One of the questions that I get from time to time is - “why do I need to learn this?” “I won’t ever use this [knowledge/skill] in my life.” I don’t actually disagree with these students, I just try to get to know what they actually want to do and what they are striving for. Luckily, a lot of what we do in my Media class can apply to a wide range of situations, so we talk about those skills. But I know that doesn’t apply to everything. For example, there is still a lot of math that I learned that I have completely forgotten because it isn’t used anywhere in my life. Same goes with many instruments I once learned to play. If it weren’t for a grade, or parents forcing me, I probably wouldn’t have stuck with it for as long as I did. And for all of those things I had to stick with, not all of them ended up mattering. Since we have so many different teachers, how do we deliver our curriculum to those students that know what they want and don’t want without external incentives? I think that is the question that is missing here.
In the previous question, I answered why I was willing to stick with a certain practice, and I think it was really because it was fun. Does that mean that our classes need to be something fun/enjoyable to have students stick with it?
I noticed you asked if our classrooms need to be something fun/enjoyable to have students stick with it. In my opinion, learning should be internally driven and not forced. Schools are required to teach standards that “provide” students with the necessary skills to portray a “complete” education; someone who is ready for the real world. I don’t think learning should only be fun; although it provides an interest/motivation, but learning something that is difficult and “not fun”, and boring, should also be a skill that is required to have. I would call this skill, having “grit”. Students need to know how to try when something is difficult, and to understand what it feels like to work hard. I wonder if providing a balance between fun and hard work is the solution we’re looking for? Thank you for sharing!
DeleteI noticed that your example of students' motivation or lack there of may stem from the thought "why do I have to learn this?" This question from students even at the elementary age is the golden question. I actually love this question because just as you responded I turn them to our GLOs. The real-life skills that they are learning in my classroom.
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ReplyDelete1) I learned that when I have a really empathetic and patient supervisor that cares about the work that I do - I will give my best in what I do. When I make a mistake, instead of telling me what I did wrong and like a crack of the whip, correct my mistake. I had a good supervisor that would back track my mistakes to see where I went wrong and helped me to learn or relearn what I missed. I disliked when I had a supervisor that would talk behind my back about little mistakes that I made, making it sound like ‘common sense’ that everyone at a certain age should know. Not everyone learns in the same way, the same speed or in the same environment; and those in leadership positions should understand that and take time to learn from their members/employees.
Changes to my current practices is to build rapport with my students and colleagues, to improve my relationship with others. To make time to have ho’oponopono, to build social and emotional learning skills that will help students become kinder, have more empathy and try to be a friend.
I will implement better ways to help my students with any mistakes they may have. I will be patient in seeing how they view the problem. I’m currently teaching three lines, so I’m constantly on my toes when it comes to my subject content and student responses. My responses can be quick witted and other times it can be patient and caring. I have to remind myself that not all students think the same way and as much as I try to teach them correctly or a certain way - an action can be done in many ways. I will implement better ways of scaffolding my concepts to help with their understanding of the subject in hopes that they’ll use the knowledge in the future.
2) I learned Microsoft Office Software back in 2009, as a recipient of a grant to help fifteen Hawaiian applicants. I took a class at my university to learn the basics, but it has been four years since that class and I didn’t think I could remember anything due to working at a job that didn’t require the use of computer literacy. So to jump back in, I was grateful for the opportunity and absorbed as much as I could from the one-on-one course with the software.
Changes to my current practices when students struggle is to teach my students how to backtrack to where they get stuck/stumped by and checking for errors in their writing or if they missed a step in the instructions or input into a calculator. After a summative assessment, if I see a pattern of incorrect answers with more than two students, then I try to go over congruent examples of the problem in small groups. This allows students to get help from their peers on the steps needed to complete the problems and it allows me to check for understanding.
I will implement time for the students to explain their answers. I get into the bad habit of wanting the answers to flow instantaneously or myself absentmindedly giving the answers to the students without having them process the steps to solve. Students should be given time to develop practice in reading instructions thoroughly and be able to check their work.
Aloha Hoku,
DeleteI noticed that you mentioned when supervisors are empathetic and patient we are able to learn and grow from our mistakes, isn't this what we teach are kids. Many a times I feel that our supervisors forget what we teach is also applicable. Negative reinforcement never works in the long run I have always observed. Students may merely finish the task at hand but have not learned a thing.
Hi Hoku,
DeleteI notice that you said after a summative assessment if you see a pattern of mistakes, you will meet with small groups to review. I am wondering, after this review do the students have the opportunity to take the summative assessment again? Do you have a similar system for formative assessments? There is a lot of content to cover, so I find myself tore when deciding to move on or review. I want to look into weaving concepts together, so students have more opportunities for mastery.
Hi Hoku
DeleteI noticed that you said that a good supervisor would back track find your mistakes and help you learn or relearn what you did wrong. I totally agree with this method of reteaching and relearning. I also agree that its not nice that supervisors talk behind your back and that the expect things to be always in unity or as you say "common sense", and that is not always the case. I wonder if those supervisors had supervisors who trained them that way? I wonder where they see the benefits of being that type of supervisors? I too believe that we should have patience and help students in the classroom by identifying areas of improvement and reteaching and allowing them to relearn. I also noticed that you allow students to get help from their peers which I think is a great way of student also learning and getting feedback from you . Thank you for Sharing.
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ReplyDelete3) I learned that when students learn with points, they’ll find the minimum amount of points to pass the class and be happy with that. No motivation will be needed and they’ll treat the class like a pass or fail. I don’t believe that this theory would show depth of knowledge.
Changes to my current practice are to create formative activities that will keep my students engaged and motivated to learn the subject material. With my probability and statistics class, I like to play card games and dice games with my students to collect data and connect the data to the course units.
I will implement a clearer understanding of how my students will be graded on each formative and summative assessment, how they will receive their quarter grades and semester grades. By doing this I hope my students will take responsibility for their learning and progress of the standards throughout the semester.
4) I learned that points are not effective in helping students become motivated and engaged. Points where it matters, for example - projects, presentations, essays, assessments - these points students understand the importance of. When teachers start grading students with points on bellwork, exit tickets, class responses (group or individual), quizzes, etc - and see no change in their grade; then they’ll learn they don’t need to participate in those activities - points will then lose it’s value.
Changes to my current practice would be to shift the thought of points to a rubric, in a form of making each point have a goal to reach. To promote a growth mindset over a fixed mindset.
I will implement and establish clear goals and high expectations for my students to achieve. I want them to see that each standard in a rubric is achievable in producing high quality work and will help strengthen their depth of knowledge.
Hi Hoku,
DeleteI noticed that you mentioned you use formative activities that are less threatening to students with games to collect data. This is a great idea! Do you find it difficult to observe and write down your observations to take data at the same time? I feel that is what I struggle with as I observe students in a non-formal threatening way. What do you do in order to make this strategy affective? Thank you for sharing!
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ReplyDeleteHow have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
Over the years different supervisors, teachers, or professors have responded to my mistakes in different ways. Some used them as “teachable moments” and others “punished.” My experiences follow along right with what was shared in chapter three. I found it most helpful when my supervisors used my mistakes as learning experiences. For example, when I was in my teaching program in college, I had one professor who would return your work with feedback as many times as you wanted, allowing you to make corrections till you felt successful and that you had learned the material. This led me to want to work harder for this professor. When I was “punished” for my mistakes I just felt bad, dumb, and wanted to quit. For example, I tried hula for the first time and everytime I made a mistake the kumu would make me run. I ran all the time and did not learn anything about hula or how to do things correctly. I quit after about three weeks.
Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
Something that I learned outside of the school context was snowboarding. My motivation really was to avoid falling and make it down the hill a longer distance. It was a lot more fun the longer you could go without falling. At one point in my learning, I had mastered using my heel edge to stop or slow down. Everytime I tried to use my toe edge I would fall. As a result, I stopped even trying to use my toe edge. My instructor immediately noticed what I was doing, so provided me with a lesson on how to use my toe edge. I really did not want to try it, but what motivated me was my instructor's encouragement. Each attempt he would tell me what I did well and what to work on next. He also would model it for me which was very helpful.
I noticed we must have had the same Hula Kumu. I either duck walked and kaholo-ed my way through every practice because I had to learn the dances from a friend who had the patience and time to teach me during lunch.
DeleteI wonder if that's what our students need in learning new concepts - an encouraging hand. I recently started watching this guy on TikTok that would teach these 20 second lessons to pre-teens and teens on how to have a better stance, rip around, turns, etc; his voice is gently, yet encouraging and when he sees the teens perform the maneuver without eating snow - success! I wonder what it would take for students to treat what they learn as accomplishments versus another thing to know?
Hi Christine:
DeleteI noticed that you used the word "punishment" in your experiences from your supervisors. That does not surprise me because I have had many jobs and I remember lots of supervisors giving me the Dirty work if I made a mistake or shaming me in front of everyone at a team meeting and It never made me feel good about myself. Like you said , it made you feel like quitting or made you feel dumb. I wonder how our students feel if teachers shame them when they fail a test or answer a question with something that wasn't the correct answer. I would hope that no students would ever feel as if they are in that position. I wonder what motivates all of our students to come to school and learn? I believe the teacher would play a big part in motivating the class and having students feel good about learning will help them academically. Thank you for sharing!
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ReplyDeleteSome teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test thi theory?
I think for me, I have used the point system because that was my own experience. I did not really think deeply about the points being the motivation for my students, but I have totally said things like “to get the most points… or if you don't blank you will lose points.” Reading this chapter really got me thinking about how I go about motivating my students and if it is effective. I think the best way to test the theory,” if I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated,” would be to use points with one class and not use points with another class. Then compare the motivation levels in each class.
How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
According to chapter 3, the use of points would not motivate and engage students who are lacking motivation and engagement. It would not build a trusting relationship with the teacher and could lead to them feeling like they are never going to be successful in this class. This makes me think about one student that I had several years ago. This particular student did not care at all about points or his grade. He would come to class everyday and do nothing. Many times he even brought nothing with him. My strategy with him was every class period to point out something he did well and try to avoid pointing out any negative behaviors or mistakes. Overtime, he did do some work, but it was still not as much as I would have liked. I wonder if part of the struggle was his years of being in a “point system” which did not work for him.
When I first came to Waimanalo School, I noticed immediately that many of my students did not complete assignments because they were afraid of making mistakes. I never could pinpoint exactly why that was, but I tried to address it by talking about it. I put up a big poster that said let’s make mistakes together and would say things like, “what can we learn from that mistake.” After reading this chapter, I am thinking I was really contradicting myself because I was saying one thing, but then my grading system was saying something else.
Hi Christine, I noticed you said that you encourage your students to make mistakes but then feel like you are contradicting yourself because your grading policies differ. I felt the same way after reading this chapter. I have thought of assignments I have had my students complete for no grade and just for “practice” and really want to increase the amount of tasks I do this way. I wonder if there are certain aspects about your grading system that you immediately recognize you want to change. Is there a specific category you feel is doing a disservice to your students?
DeleteIn the school settings I have had many supervisors that have given me helpful and non-helpful responses. Those individuals who were very helpful were the individuals who actually cared about the work that I produced or skills that I had. They also were very critical in the skills that I lacked in and helped me to find solutions. In contrast, recently, I had an experience with a supervisor that was not helpful. This individual made assumptions with no clear evidence of my own abilities. The individual based everything off of the scores that were produced. Nothing was noted on the abilities that I had, the progress it took to get those scores. Their response affected me so much that I had no more trust in the individual and their ability to guide me to become a better teacher.
ReplyDeleteRecall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
I believe that the biggest motivation for me when learning something new is my own investment in the subject or skill. My own desire to learn something helps me to overcome any challenges that I may face. I think of things that I “have to” learn compared to “want to” learn that in itself is the main motivation.
Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
I don’t think this thought reflects my own beliefs about learning. When doing research for example when students are given an option on the topic. Students who are able to choose their own topics I believe will learn and retain much more information than students who are given a topic to research.
How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
I believe that with the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged will show some progress in their learning. The questions that pop into mind are; what have they learned? What information have they retained? Will their skills learned be applied to the next subject taught? Questions along these lines will surely show that the “point” system is not effective with students who lack motivation and engagement. They may conclude that school isn’t for them because of the low scores they will accrue.
Hi Dayton, I noticed that we have similar beliefs about extrinsic motivations in learning. Student passion for the topic definitely drives the learning process. Student choice is also an important way to make students feel like active participants in their learning. I wonder how you practice cultivating that intrinsic motivation within your classroom. What are other strategies you have for increasing student engagement rather than allowing them to choose a research topic?
DeleteHi Dayton,
DeleteI notice that you also had those opinions based on scores, without looking at the progress and the skills you had. I had a similar situation in college, and I felt horrible and worthless. It is very sad but we are always going to have these unhelpful responses in life, I wonder if we could help our students to be more resilient, so these comments do not undermine them.
1. I have had supervisors respond to my mistakes in both positive and negative ways. Luckily, most of my supervisors have provided productive criticism that allowed me to reflect and grow. Supervisors who have provided productive feedback did not shame me for my areas of weakness. I felt that they cared about my growth rather than focusing on my shortcomings. These helpful responses have made me more effective as an individual. When my supervisors have made me feel welcomed, I was more likely to be vulnerable and take risks in my learning process.
ReplyDeleteUnhelpful responses and negative feedback to my mistakes have made me less effective as a learner. I would be too afraid to take risks and demonstrate the necessary vulnerability to effectively grow as a learner. Very much like how the text states, students decide whether or not to trust their teachers based upon the teacher’s behavior when weaknesses are exposed. Mistakes are a natural part of learning, when mistakes are harshly punished learning is stifled. I am not effective when I do not feel safe to make mistakes.
2. I have always loved plants. Since the pandemic I have become obsessed with gardening and growing house plants. There was a definite learning curve here. In the beginning, so so so many plants died under my care. There were many times when I thought I should give up. What motivated me to learn more and continue to do so in the midst of all the plant fatalities were my friends and partner. Yes, they did tease the mortality rate, but they did encourage me to keep on trying. I have such a strong connection to my plant babies and now I am more willing to take risks with my gardening techniques. I strongly believe that the external support I received, as well as the passion I had for plants, motivated me to continue my learning journey. I was motivated because I understood that mistakes are inevitable and necessary for me to grow.
3. I don’t believe this theory and agree with what our text discussed. When students
are motivated by points “it creates the illusion of engagement and motivation.” If one did believe this, they could test this theory by taking away all forms of point systems in their classroom and see how students behave. If students are motivated and engaged knowing that anything and everything they do will not affect their grade, it could be assumed that they have learned internal motivation from a point system.
4. From the reading, and my own personal experience, it is clear that the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged is not effective. The use of points deteriorates the relationship between the student and the teacher. Students are trained to view the teacher as a “Federal Reserve of the classroom” and students view learning as a means to an end.
When we give students points for completing a task and subtract points for unwanted behavior we are not engaging our students in creative and authentic learning. The text states, “research has shown that extrinsic motivation is not an effective motivation strategy for authentic learning” (p. 34). Intrinsic motivation is when students have the desire to learn because it intrigues them, not because they want to earn points. I think of my own interests, I don’t receive an external reward every time I learn a new plant name or resuscitate a dying flower yet I continue to learn because it challenges me. I believe we are doing a disservice to our students when we view them as only being able to be extrinsically motivated. I would like to continue to have tasks that do not call for points, grades, or rewards in my classroom. I want my students to feel safe to take risks and demonstrate motivation for the sake of learning.
Hi J,
DeleteI noticed that you and I have similar feelings when given negative responses to mistakes. I agree with you that being vulnerable is a huge part of the learning process and if learners are afraid to be wrong, they will not be able to grow because they are afraid of the consequences. What strategies do you do use in your classroom that allows students to be vulnerable?
Aloha J,
DeleteFirst of all, I love that you love plants. It is not easy to care for plants but they appreciate your singing without judgement =), they bask in the sun and shade with joy, they appreciate conversation and company, and are so accepting of the nurture given. My Hawaiian ancestors have said that plants have spirits too!
I like your comment on deterioration. My thoughts are all over the place with this because I have seen so many styles for grading at my school...from decent to mediocre to unbelievable and finally those that don't really care. I've seen grades as so subjective that it drives me nuts, lol. Even the traditional grading has its stages between my colleagues. It's tough and as a special educator, my input is not taken lightly; it's not taken at all. I am not the best at grading but I sure am trying to move away from its traditional practices.
I wonder what conversation starters I can use to speak and collaborate with my general education peers? How do I offer my thoughts and ideas without offending the teachers that have their names on the report cards? As a special educator, I try to find ways to contribute and learn beside my teacher friends as I am often seen as "the teacher to help the sped kids". It's easier speaking to plants!
Thanks for your comments!
Hi J Economy... I notice that we share the same sentiments about points as not being a motivating factor for our students who struggle the most. I wonder how we can authentically create spaces where learning is based on intrinsic motivation. As a music teacher, I do have a lot of flexibility in how I assess because we are not bound by mandated standardized testing, however, I still struggle to have all students be engaged with their learning. It is almost as if students are addicted to grades and don't know any other way to encourage themselves to work hard.
DeleteHi J,
DeleteI noticed we both don't believe that students aren't motivated by points. I wonder what classrooms would be like without a point system. It would be interesting to see what happens when a child isn't discussed as a data point, and more for their quality of work.
How have different supervisors responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelptul responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
ReplyDeleteAll 8th grade students take the HSA science test, and they have multiple opportunities throughout the year. During my first year of teaching, after the first round of testing in the winter, the percentage of my students who were proficient was 10% below my colleagues’. I remember being called into the office and having to justify my scores to an administrator, even though I was a first year teacher who had just finished their first semester of teaching. The scores were also shared with everyone at a faculty meeting, and although my name wasn’t attached to them, there are only two teachers, so it was clear which scores belonged to which teacher. It was embarrassing, although it did motivate me to encourage my students in positive ways, though I don’t think it would have motivated everyone. Helpful responses came from people who I knew wanted me to succeed, they helped me come up with new strategies to try things in different ways, and I knew that their opinion was non-evaluative, which meant I knew that they just had my best interest at heart. I think for us as teachers, I would assume many of us are intrinsically motivated, so regardless of positive or negative feedback, we’ll continue to try our best.
Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
I chose to learn this skill, so seeing my improvements and gains is something that motivates me because I can see progress and joy in the creative process. When I struggle, I know I’ll get better next time, so I don’t let mistakes get to me because this is something that I want to get better at. However, I don’t think we can compare this to school, because students don’t choose their curriculum.
Some teachers think “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated. If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
You could test it by decreasing the amount of points as the year progresses and see if student learning and engagement remains the same, or survey the students and see how much of an effect it has.
How effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points--the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day--affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
According to the book, using points is degrading for students since it tells them that they have to have rewards in order to learn, and that they’re incapable of intrinsic motivation. The book also says that it breaks their relationship with their teacher and it becomes transactional rather than trusting. I personally need to think a little more about this--I have a points based reward system (not linked to grades) as a classroom management system. Students are rewarded for asking thoughtful questions, helping peers, giving creative answers to questions, killing mosquitoes, offering to help with various things without being asked, etc.
Hi Jennifer, I read your comment about having a points-based reward system. I notice that you would like to personally explore this concept a bit more. I agree, I would need more time to really dissect its purpose and how our current points system is/isn't working today. Thankfully I work with a co-teacher that is open to trying better and more effective processes.
DeleteI do wonder however, with her traditional grading system, where the most appropriate place is for she and I to start making beneficial changes? We have become very set in "what is working" and have not developed a growth mindset as of yet. I often struggle with standards-based grading also because I have not personally mastered that; still a work in progress for me. My initial thought is that anywhere is a good place to start; as long as we not remain in the same traditional place!
Mahalo for your comments!
Hi Jennifer,
DeleteI notice that you also feel motivated, even if you struggle, when you do things outside the school. I feel the same. I guess, as you mentioned, we pick this activities because we are interested on them and that helps. I wonder if more choices at school would boost the students' motivation.
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ReplyDelete1. I have had a variety of responses to my professional mistakes that I have made in the past. During my first year of teaching I had a very harsh parent who actually collected a whole binder full of my grammatical errors, concept errors, and even technical errors that younger students would not even understand. I was teaching 1st grade at the time when the parent complained to the principal. She presented a binder full of her child’s work highlighting all of the mistakes, errors or information that she viewed was incorrect. My principal conducted the meeting and listened to the parent’s perspective as she scrutinized my work as an educator. At the end of the meeting, the principal thanked the parent and told her that we would further evaluate the outcome of the meeting. After the mother left, my principal told me that she supported me 100%, however since it was a private school parents do have a say in their views on education. She assured me that since it was my first year teaching that mistakes that I made will only help me grow as a teacher and further on into my career. There was no real reprimanding or consequences for all the mistakes that the parent found in her binder. I did feel defeated but knew that my learning of my mistakes will only help push myself to become a better teacher. I will never forget that day and how my principal at the time spoke to me regarding my errors. To me that helpful response has greatly affected my effectiveness today. I always double check my resources, spelling, and get a second or even 3rd look on anything that I send out to my students and parents. Bringing these weaknesses to my attention without harsh consequences really allowed me to learn and implement a plan to get better from it.
On the other hand, I have also had leadership scold me and respond to mistakes that they believed that I have made. To make matters worse, this individual actually made it known in front of all of my students that I did not follow their specific directions. I felt defeated, worthless, and after she left I didn’t even feel like putting in any effort into the remainder of my day. I felt even more embarrassed since the mistake I made was shouted (not discreetly said) in front of all of my students. From that day forward I felt this sense of frustration every time I would see my supervisor and lost respect for her in that light. I can see how students can also feel this way in a classroom when they go through similar situations where their errors are aired out in front of the class.
2. I always share this story with my students when they are faced with a challenging project or objective that seems super unattainable. I dance for a halau that is competitive in the Merrie Monarch Competition. Performing on the Merrie Monarch stage has been a dream of mine since I first started dancing hula as a little girl. Moving from Maui to Oahu, I decided to join my current halau knowing that if I wanted to compete I would have to work super hard. Year after year I tried out to make the line and participate in the competition. I worked hard every day. Still after 3 years of consecutively being cut from the line, I continued to press on year to year. I saw many of my classmates who asked me about content we learned in class or what they missed from hula the week before they all made the merrie monarch line. There were times I was very discouraged and almost quit because I was working so hard and not seeing any outcome of it. Finally, on the fourth try out year I made the line. My kumu (teacher) mentioned to the entire class about my determination and hard work that he had seen over the years. From then on I always reminded myself to listen, push myself, and never give up. I believe that those moments of resolve or recognition that the work and improvement that I have made overtime was seen continues to motivate me day after day.
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ReplyDelete3. From reading the chapter I know that relying on the point system is not effective. However I do use google classroom where points are awarded. I have also heard myself saying, I will take a point away if you do this, I’ll give you extra points if you do this. I know that I cannot fully rely on the point system because it does not work. Students need to have self motivation in order to perform or even understand better than they did before. I actually relied on points from Google classroom heavily, and the theory of points did not work for every student. Some students did not develop the intrinsic motivation as other students did and points simply meant nothing to them. This is why I spend time talking one on one with all of my students to see what motivates them and how I can help them reach their academic goals. This is by far more important than the point system.
4. From experience with the point system, I felt so unconnected with my students. I was all seeing, all giving of their points. I could see that they saw me as an authority rather than someone that they could ask for help or spend time improving their mistakes with. With some students who were highly affected and motivated on their own the point system worked. However on the other hand students who I made no connection with or “couldn’t reach” just slipped through the cracks and never really improved throughout the year. Similar to my personal experience with my supervisor, I saw students fall behind and continue to be unmotivated throughout the year. Although they improved enough to graduate, I still feel that they could have performed better had I developed better relationships and made them realize that mistakes were opportunities to improve rather than take points away from them for each assignment. I hope to further improve in this area and I hope that this class can provide consistent strategies that I can use in the future.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences, Krystin! Congratulations on dancing in the Merrie Monarch after all your hard work! I love how kindly your principal spoke to you, and how you were able to take that as a learning opportunity, just like they suggested. I can also empathize with your second experience--I too, was embarrassed by a supervisor in a public setting, so thank you for sharing and explaining how students may feel if we also correct them in public. I think keeping that in mind going forward would be really helpful when correcting my students.
DeleteThank you also for sharing about your experience using a point system. I use one for behavior management, but it's not tied to grades, and I'm still trying to be open-minded about revising that strategy! Was yours solely for their grades? I love your strategy of talking with them one on one, and I wonder if you have any students similar those who slipped through the cracks, and if you were able to figure out what motivated them?
1. I will speak of two individuals or supervisors if you will, whose opinion I considered often. A former Principal who recognized my potential as a department head for special education. She practiced communication techniques that were effective. She’d begin her responses with, “So what I hear you saying is”, restated the concern, then proceeded to give solutions that worked (based on her vast experience). I welcomed her feedback; the wealth of knowledge for me. It made me a better leader as well.
ReplyDeleteThe other “supervisor” was myself. When I was the DH, I was forced to find effective ways to communicate with teachers in my stead. A few were more veteran than I and we understood each other very well because we spoke the same special education language. When working with the newly hired teachers, there were errors made on the daily. I grew impatient when having to repeat myself and I was not as accepting of their mistakes; yet I spoke with respect and led by example. It took time, yet I learned lessons during my capacity as a department head because of it.
2. I am trying to reflect back to when I was in high school where I struggled academically. I wish I could remember what I did to overcome academic challenges back then. If I had to guess, I relied on friendly competition and help from my peers.
Now, as a veteran educator, I engage in learning opportunities often. I welcome growth and constant development because it is the only way I am able to remain teachable and humbled in the process. My motivation is many - self mastery, gains, knowledge, intellect, experience, autonomy, trustworthiness and purpose. To be the best ‘me’, I must experience struggle to then taste success.
Today, my Principal (who is younger than I in age and years of service) will seek my advice with special education concerns. I know that he values my professional opinion and I owe that all to engaging in continuous educational opportunities.
3. I’ll start with this real life example where my 9th grade colleague uses points, and lots of it, to motivate students towards work completion. Along the way, extra points are given for answering the daily warm-up questions and sharing aloud the answers to the class. First of all, this “warm-up” consumes more time than is necessary and valuable time for instruction/lesson is delayed.
Does this work? It’s not ideal. How would I test this theory? I would see what student population is the most moved by these rewards and look for an increase in work completion for all students across the board. It makes me think of the special education population, specifically students with behavioral plans that incorporate incentives. It would be interesting to see if point rewards are effective with them.
4. In my experience, points as motivation for students who are the least motivated hasn’t been effective. Engaging the unmotivated students has always been a struggle for many teachers. I work with a Hui of core teachers and I see it everyday when they are trying to teach all student learners. There are soft threats, holding grades/scores over the student's head, punishments during recess/after school, reports to administration, parent conferences, and so forth. I understand what they go through each day and do my best to provide resolutions that may or may not work but we are progressively trying to do better with each situation.
But I will say this, some teachers (having already promised points) will extend submission dates as incentives also. I have seen this type of approach work with building relationships with the students; the child trusts the teacher because of the sympathetic extended time. Then the points are rewarded or not at the end of the grading period, leaving the relationship as questionable again. For so many students and teachers, this doesn’t make for a successful experience sadly. It's up to us as educators to find ways to make things work the best we can and continue to pursue effective grading practices.
Aloha Ceslee! I noticed that you mentioned a supervisor with great communication techniques which positively impacted you personally and professionally. There is indeed power in language and most of the time, it's not about what is being said but how it was said. physical wounds heal, as many say, but wounds in the heart do not heal. There is really a need to be mindful of how we frame our statements and comments.
DeleteIn your response to question number 4, you have stated that points have not been effective, based on your experience and the experiences of some teachers in your department. I wonder and I'm curious what strategies you've found effective in cultivating internal motivation to students?
I have always cared about others' opinions, maybe too much (I know it is not good), so I can remember some of those opinions very well. I have had many different experiences. Some opinions were uplifting and others were very depressing. I have a very supportive mom. I remember all the moments I made mistakes and how she always tried to cheer me up and encourage me to try it again.
ReplyDeleteAt the age of 19, I decided that I wanted to be a pool lifeguard. On the first day of the training, I realized it was harder than I thought. Many of the guys there were swimmers or any other kind of athlete. I left the pool crying. I thought about quitting but I already paid for it, and it terrified me to disappoint my mom and myself. The next few weekends were not easier. Our instructor was conducting exams to decide if we passed the different disciplines. By the last day, I only have passed 3 or 4 of the eight disciplines. I got to the pool on the last day of the training feeling very anxious, I did not want to fail. I did one of the exams, and I failed. I felt so disappointed, but then I heard the instructor telling me that I had enough time to try it again. I was very tired, so I looked at him and I responded: "Okay, I would like to try it again". I tried a second time, and I failed again. My instructor mentioned again that we have enough time to try this exam again and he thought I could do it, so I did it. I was very tired and I do not think I did better, but when I finished he told me: "Good job, let's do the next exam". The same thing happened again, then is when I realized that our final time/score was not that important, he was measuring our strength and growth. I ended up getting my license, and I felt so proud of myself. It was a really good feeling.
I have some memories of unhelpful responses and all of them are from high school and college. I remember one day being at math class. I was thinking of some personal problems, so I was very distracted. The teacher approached me and asked quite angrily: "What was I saying? You do not know, do you? Of course not, because you are just not paying attention." I felt humiliated. I really wanted to pay attention but I was feeling down, so I could not concentrate. I was not comfortable in that class, I felt anxious and scared.
2.I decided to try yoga when I was around 30 years old. I was never flexible, I am still not flexible, so it was not easy at all. I started going to class every single day. Nobody really told me anything about my performance, but I started feeling the improvement. I was still not able to do some poses that so many people could do, but I could see how I was getting closer and closer. That feeling was enough for me to keep trying and practicing.
3.I have been teaching for less than two years and I have never seen that points lead to internal motivation. Maybe it can happen, but I do not have any experience with that approach.
4.My school uses the A to F grading scale. I tried to explain to my students what those letters mean in my class. For me, F means that the student is not familiar with the content YET; a D means that the student is starting to learn the content; a C means that the student is starting feeling comfortable with the topic; a B means that he/she feels quite comfortable discussing the content; and an A means that the student feels so comfortable that could explain it to others. I do not talk about mistakes or points in these descriptions, the student is going to move through all the stages during the learning process. However, I have not had much success with my kids because they still ask me how many points the assignment or the lab is worth. For some of the students, school is not for them because they feel stuck at the beginning of the learning process and they do not think they can improve. I think that giving them grades constantly could be feeding this attitude.
From my reflection on the supervisors I’ve had in the past, I learned that the way that people respond to mistakes can have a lifelong impact on the receiver of the responses. I see the reality of this because I can remember and see very clearly the effect that the supervisor's responses to my mistakes have had, and continue to have on me. I have had a few supervisors or teachers who shamed/humiliated me for mistakes and the feelings I experienced are still very raw. I have had supervisors/teachers who made an effort to not shame/humiliate me but instead to encourage me to learn from my mistakes. These types of responses motivated me to show up, try harder when doing work, and also to correct and learn from my mistakes. Teachers that were harsh, critical, and negative in their responses to my mistakes taught me to withdraw in fear of providing incorrect responses. This led to limiting my learning because I was afraid to do critical thinking to come to an answer but instead to stick with the concrete answers to make sure I had the correct answers. Something I would like to change about my teaching is to make sure that I provide judge-free opportunities for students to express themselves without fear of incorrect answers. I can implement more interactive types of assignments where there are no incorrect answers, but more “what do you think” type of questions that elicit student’s opinions and interpretations of topics.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I learned to do outside of the school context is to weave hats made out of coconut leaves. I had an in person tutor to show me and I also have YouTube videos available to watch and rewatch. In the beginning, the steps and concepts of how to weave the hats were very confusing. I would make many mistakes and have to redo entire sections. I would get lost in the steps and would get very frustrated. I practiced everyday and made many, many hats before I could do the process by myself and produce a great hat that I could wear, give as gifts, and even sell for a profit. What motivated me to keep learning when I was struggling was my desire to learn new things and to create things with my own hands that I could use and that I could give to others as a personal gift. What I learned from this is that if there is a strong desire to do something, you will keep at it and figure out how to achieve your goals.
One way that you could test the theory of students realizing success and becoming internally motivated with points is to have a classroom experiment with two groups of students or two classrooms in which students are given assignments for points and one that doesn’t. You could compare student achievement and completion of activities and assignments. In this way you may be able to use data to determine student success. This could help a teacher to determine if students achieve success in acquiring and synthesizing information and becoming internally motivated when assigned work with and without points.
For students who are the least motivated and engaged, I learned that the use of points compounds their lack of motivation because they get more and more behind on points as the quarter progresses, itʻs harder for them to catch up, and then its seems as if it is impossible to get to a passing grade so why even try. I plan to change if and how I assign points. Previously I had some formative assessments tied to points and I will now implement a new system in my classes of formative assessments that are not tied to points, they will just be a check on acquired knowledge. I learned that using points throughout the day can affect studentʻs anxiety levels and negatively impact their feelings about going to school and their relationship with their teacher.
-How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
ReplyDeleteI feel like I’ve been a decent enough student throughout most of my life that supervisors/people whose opinions I cared about, responded in a helpful way about the mistakes I made. No one was ever like, “Yeah! You made a mistake! That’s awesome! This is how we can learn.” It was more like “Here’s what you did wrong, and it’s too late to change now, but keep in mind for next time.” However, I do feel like there was an overarching vibe of “if you make a mistake on this/get this wrong, you weren’t prepared” as I was growing up. I think towards the end of highschool and throughout college, I began to adopt my philosophy of “if I don’t know it by now (if I don’t remember learning it and absorbing it when it was initially taught), then I’m not going to know it for the test” as a result of the mindset that I grew up with. It was a very fixed and toxic mindset to have and definitely shows that I was extrinsically motivated through most of my life. I think in the times when I was allowed the chance to learn from mistakes, I always grew from them, but there weren’t a whole lot of chances to do that growing up.
-Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
Outside of the school context, I think focusing on the end result helps to motivate me to learn and pushes me to keep going when I am struggling. I tried crocheting about a year ago (it was a very short-lived hobby) and it was slow and frustrating, but I kept trying because I wanted to be able to make the cute little stuffed animals and blankets.
-Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
You could test this theory by first trying to impress intrinsic motivation, teach, and cultivate that kind of learning environment. Then, switch it up and use points and extrinsically motivate them for a while and then go back to the intrinsic motivation and see if they keep asking about points and rewards. If they keep asking about points and rewards, maybe that theory didn’t work so well. However, if they continue to want to learn on their own and are internally motivated, then the theory works. Laying this out just made my head hurt. We know intrinsic motivation is the way to go. All the texts and articles that teachers read nowadays all point towards growth mindset and intrinsic motivation, so why even experiment and waste valuable time with our kids?
-How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
Using points for the students who aren’t motivated or engaged is not an effective strategy. Those students will not be motivated by points and even if they are, according to the book, it undermines their ability to become internally motivated. Using points will set them up for a lifetime (or at least a quarter lifetime) of expectations from other people to determine their own success. The use of adding/subtracting points throughout the day can be emotionally exhausting (for teacher and student) and also affect their trust in the adults. They might get the idea like “Mrs. ___ doesn’t care about me. She just keeps taking points away.” According to the chapter, taking away points also discourages students from even attempting work because they are afraid of getting/doing something wrong and getting points taken away. It’s a fear-based strategy that probably makes a lot of students believe that they aren’t cut out of school because they believe that the points determine their success.
Hi Kaci - I noticed you said that students aren't motivated by points, and I agree with you that it's an effective strategy. I believe it is "fear-based", as you shared, and it is heartbreaking to know that students become more and more unmotivated when a teacher makes everything point based. I wonder what school would be like if we described students' growth in a subject rather than provide a point system.
DeleteLorrdez Williams
ReplyDelete1). How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
I have had supervisors respond to my mistakes in a variety of ways. Some reacted more positively than others when I made a mistake. Those supervisors who were positive provided constructive feedback which allowed me to grow as an individual. I knew that if I was to make a mistake it wouldn’t have been frowned upon, but was seen as a teachable moment. This idea of learning from my mistakes helped me to become a more reflective teacher, always thinking about ways to improve my lessons to best support my students. The few supervisors who did not welcome mistakes seemed to be under intense pressure to meet the demands of high stake testing. Yet, despite the unhelpful responses from my supervisor, it pushed me to want to do better in order to prove my supervisor that they were wrong.
2) Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
I remember when I first decided to join the basketball team during middle school. I had never played basketball and was rough around the edges, but I decided to join anyway. From the beginning the coach was very firm. He provided feedback when I was doing something well and specific feedback when I wasn’t. The motivation that I had was both extrinsic and intrinsic. Scoring a point was an extrinsic reward that was reinforced instantaneously while the intrinsic motivation was being able to improve every week.
3). Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
One way to test the theory of whether students who learn with points will later realize success and become internally motivated would be to have a control group and an experimental group. I could use two different periods to test the theory out. One of the periods would continue to receive points on assignments as a form of motivation and the other period wouldn’t. The assignment would have to be a task that requires higher-order and creative thinking since we learned from chapter 3 that extrinsic rewards can be effective for algorithm tasks. I would survey both groups using a Likert scale to determine which group internalized the learning.
4). How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
I agree that the point system is ineffective with students who are the least motivated and engaged. When a student is unmotivated, I always think about whether the student is unable to do the work or is refusing to do the work. If the student is unable to do the work, then I provide the student with the prerequisite skills in order to be successful with the task. If it is a refusal to do the work, then I might use an incentive for each step that the student achieves in order to complete the task. Adding and subtracting points throughout a student’s day can be detrimental to a student’s relationship with the teacher. According to chapter 3, the students learn that the teacher has all the power in giving out the point and associated the point system as having to be perfect and not make mistakes.
I notice that we both agree that the point system is not very effective with students who are unmotivated and engaged. I also agree it can be detrimental to the teacher student relationship.
DeleteI wonder how your story of having your coach in basketball can be applied to the classroom and if those same good strategies of coaching would work for students.
Hi Lorrdez!
DeleteI notice that I feel the same way as you in regard to administrative feedback. When constructive criticism is given it allows more growth as someone who is learning as compared to just putting someone down. Realistically, failure will happen more often than successes when trying new things, so it is important to find ways to grow amongst making mistakes!
I wonder what could be a positive spin to adding and subtracting points throughout the day. While I also think that it could cause a negative relationship with the students, if the teacher often provides words of encouragement do you think it could be beneficial?
1. How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
ReplyDeleteIn the 9 years I've been teaching, I've been in 2 different schools, had 5 different administrators, and been in 4 different grade levels. I've had administrators and grade level chairpersons who positively impacted me by being collaborative, helpful, and a form of a mentor who teaches me that we learn from our mistakes. The unhelpful responses made the school culture feel like I need to learn standards and strategies more quickly, despite the fact that when I asked for help I was told I just have to take time to learn it on my own or to go see someone else for help instead.
2. Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
I'm learning to cook, especially my mom and family's recipes. I struggle with wanting to cook because I'd rather spend my time getting ahead with schoolwork and/or do some other creative project. I'm motivated to learn because it's a bonding experience between her and I.
3. Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
I don't believe in this. If a teacher believed in this, then continue to provide tests and assessments daily.
4. How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
Students who are least motivated are less engaged. They feel that they continually don't understand what is being learned and struggle to continue to want to move on because of all they missed previously. My students appreciate the fact that I don't have a points system in my class for classwork, rather a +, check, and - system. They believe it shows them that they're "on the right track," or "I'm slowly getting there and just need more practice, or "I need to ask for help."
I notice that we both agree that positive support when you make a mistake can help encourage you to keep trying and ask for more help and that negative reactions can hinder that effectiveness.
DeleteI wonder how your experience with learning to cook can be similar to student's experience with class. I see that you don't have too much interest in the actual subject (cooking) but it is the relationships that it creates which you are interested in. I think that some of our students feel like this about certain subject where they may not like the content but they like the teacher or the class atmosphere.
I notice that your motivations for wanting to learn something are intrinsic and are happy to spend time with your family. This is something that many of todays students lack being that their motivations are often extrinsic and based on getting high grade that will earn them rewards from their parents! Also, I too would like to learn more about how to cook - this is something that I have been slacking on lately.
DeleteI wonder if points could be given in ways other than tests? For example students could be given points for good behaviors or performance based activities? I think this way it would be less detrimental to their self-view in regard to school.
1.) In my previous jobs I have had supervisors who have responded to mistakes with empathy, understanding, and support. These are the best ways to have your mistakes dealt with in my opinion. This types of responses don't belittle you, they empower you to try again and to own up to your mistakes again in the future, because we know they are ok. I have also had employers yell at me for mistakes (restaurant work) which does not make me feel empowered or as though I even want to try again. I think that the former is the better way to impact effectiveness in a positive way.
ReplyDelete2.) Something that I learned to do outside of the school context was paddle. This motivated me because it was a sport and a team sport in which I was motivated to work with my team, support them, and be part of something together. When I was struggling, talking to my teammates always helped as well as asking for more help from my coaches.
3.) I think one way you could test this would be to then take away the points and see what the students did in terms of their goal for achieving success. I think it may be met with mixed results, some students want to produce quality work, and some just want to check off those boxes so they can get the points, and they would not necessarily be motivated if they knew there were no points attached.
4.) In my experience, for those students who are least motivated, they end up losing points or scoring low on what they do participated in, which reduces their efficacy and therefore they continue to not try and not do work, or skip class all together. It seems like they feel like they are in such a deep hole they don't think its worth it to try to climb out of it.
Val Shindo-Uehira
DeleteHi Jessica - I totally agree with you! I also feel that the least motivated students do not respond very positively to a point system. Earning less points (or no points at all) demotivates these students and encourages them to not try. These students usually miss a lot of class and accrue a ton of missing assignments. I would definitely be interested in hearing about the strategies you use to address these students.
1. I remember I had one supervisor who told me one day, "Go set up all the alarm clocks on the shelf" So what did I do , I took all the alarm clocks out of the box and set them for us as he told me to do. At the end I told him I was done. He told me I told you to set up the clocks , I responded ," I did". He said they are not plugged in and they have no prices on them. Now me being new to the job and this task, I didn't know he wanted me to make a working display with price tags. (which may have seemed to be the obvious). However, He then responded, Let me show you how and he did the first row of clock displays the way he wanted it set up and then I finished it. I appreciated his help and I always reflect back on this day , even when I became a supervisor myself. I have even used this example in my classrooms, where as a teacher I have to make clear expectations of what the lesson is about and what I expect students to do. I also may have to model it for those who may need extra help in the explanation of expectations, and I have to check on them to make sure that I check for understanding.
ReplyDelete2.I wanted to learn how to take pictures, so I signed up for a photography class. I remember my first year taking it and struggling. It was so difficult learning all the settings and the lighting and on top of that the teacher was rushing and went so fast through the lesson that I was lost half way through the class. I was ready to quit on so many levels. I remember telling the coordinator , hey I'm going to drop this class. He advised me to go and talk to the teacher and let him know that he is going too fast and that I'm lost. So I did. He totally understood and then took the time for many of us in the class to make sure we understood and he went section by section on explaining. I then was motivated to learn even more and get more excited about the upcoming projects and our final showcase that would have our photos on display. From then , I learned that when I'm struggling, I must share that struggle with those that are teaching me so that they understand my learning level so that we can work together during this learning journey. I also have brought that into my classroom, letting my students know if they are challenged or struggling they need to communicate with me and let me know.That is one way that I can really help them by us all being on the same page of communication and understanding.
3. Reading about the point system was a bit of an eye opener for me because I do give extra credit points, points for everyone being on task today, points for turning in work on time, points for participation and I never realized it was as the book says , making as assumption that the students wouldn't do this anyway, and that they wouldn't invest or participate in their learning process. It made me think, Am I doing grading wrong? Am I allowing students to think only about the point system and not really working hard to learn or motivated to understand and grasp the content on their own? Maybe I could not give point system and see if they are motivated to learn? But then how would I grade on a rubric score?
4.I use a point system but sometimes I just give a check mark that lets students know that they are on track and I add notes where they can make adjustments or I give some advice on what could be explained better, etc. I notice that with a point system the students who always receive max points already expect those points and the students that struggle feel shame when I return their paper back to them, especially when their peers ask them , “how much are your points?” .I believe that having a point system can affect students' motivation and can affect their decision about being in the classrooms.
Val Shindo-Uehira
DeleteHi Tammy - I would have done the same thing and would not have thought to set up the alarm clocks as a working display! It definitely drives home the importance of teacher clarity and communication. I also use check marks and plus signs on student assignments to let them know if they are on track. I find that this works better because the kids are not comparing scores. I also agree that the point system can affect a student's motivation and their perception of their learning environment.
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ReplyDelete1. How have different supervisors (or those whose opinions you care about) responded to your mistakes? How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
ReplyDeleteDifferent people present different perspectives and responses on different things. However, most of the time, it is how something is said that gives more impact than what has been said. In all honesty, there is this positive intent to give constructive feedback, but then when one did not carefully choose the words to communicate the intent, and the appropriate non-verbal communication tools, there exists misperceptions. I am someone who is open-minded but is directly pierced when given harsh words. I had to learn my supervisor’s personality first so I could better interpret the ways he corrects my mistakes, and with that, it helped me think that it’s more constructive than destructive. Constructive feedback has always been my motivation to reflect and self-introspect and adjust whatever deficiencies I have, to become better at my craft. Derogatory remarks almost made me give up and deviate from my career. However, as I become more mature, I have learned how to effectively deal with any feedback—constructive or destructive.
2. Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivates you to learn and to continue learning when you struggle?
Motherhood is the most challenging job I have ever had. The good parenting skills are not something that we can learn prior to becoming a mother or the skills or techniques are efficacious to all. Most are trial-and-error, and what works with one child may not work with the other child. My extrinsic motivation to learn more about parenting styles and skills are comments from my husband and my own children about me being a “great mom”. My intrinsic motivation is the need to rear my children imbued with virtues and values that they could use for their survival in this world of intricacies and uncertainties.
3. Some teachers think, “If I motivate students to learn with points now, they’ll realize success and become internally motivated.: If you believe this, how could you test this theory?
Internal motivation is hard to cultivate for most students since scientifically speaking, the neocortex which is responsible for executive processes has not been fully developed. For younger students, they are more receptive to things that they are trained of, as described in Skinners’ operant conditioning theory. With that being said, reinforcement is deemed valuable in achieving desired results. Thus, teachers are encouraged to provide rewards and consequences to achieve such. If a certain reward system, like points, is found effective in a certain group of individuals and that keeps them going in the pursuit of meeting expectations, I don’t see any problem with that. Interest is one of the keys in developing internal motivation, which most students at an early age have not discovered yet. If the point system is something that would motivate a student to be engaged in the early years to something they are NOT YET interested in, it will let them continue what they have started and might soon find that the venture interests them. If there is no external motivation given, students might not even give something a try, which might limit them to explore into something they might find interesting after all.
To test the theory, we should have two different samples to be observed and monitored throughout their education—one group which is not trained for any reward system, and another group exposed to reward systems. Yearly, their performance should be monitored and compared. Whichever group has more members who are successful may be attributed to having developed internal motivation. If the students who are in the group exposed to the reward system are better at their performance, then we could say that the reward system played an important role in the exploration of their interests which led to developing their internal motivation.
PART B
Delete4. How Effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points –the addition and subtraction throughout a student’s day —affect those students’ relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is for them?
Points could affect students positively and negatively. As what is indicated in the theory of individual differences, “No two individuals are exactly alike”, and maybe impacted by approaches, strategies and tools differently. Other students might lose interest and might already feel a failure if they notice that they are not accumulating as much points as the rest of the class, but (even without a point system in my class), I see that most entering and emerging ELs that I have, who are mostly least motivated and engaged students, are pushed to do better when they see that their peers are getting high scores and may be true to accumulating points within a classroom with an established pointing system. However, I have the realization that they are responding to scores and points that way because that was what they were exposed and trained to be. Even parents look for more points and high grades when checking their children’s performance.
As what has been emphasized on p. 35, most classrooms have developed a currency of points and that the teacher is like a Federal Reserve, and thus students are more interested in acquiring points, rather than authentic learning. With points, students are more focused on the prize as the end goal, and cannot make connections on what they currently do with how they could use them in real-life situations. They also can’t remember most of what they are learning long-term because the lesson is not really ingrained with them with the lacking of a true sense of value. There should really be a shift in the current grading norm, where points can still play a role, when deemed appropriate and important.
Val Shindo-Uehira
ReplyDelete1. While in education I have had the privilege of working with some really great administrators and coaches. They provided me with the appropriate training and resources so that I could be successful in my position as an educator. Having this kind of support, I feel, has greatly contributed to my successes and ability to adapt to a changing environment without feeling overwhelmed or anxious. My current administrator has also provided a safe space in which I am able to speak candidly about policies and procedures that affect both students and teachers. I am thankful that he values my thoughts and opinions and it also makes me feel included and important.
On the flip side, I have also worked for a really horrible supervisor (not in education). This person was quick to blame others and did nothing to support her staff. She made those who worked for her feel replaceable and insecure in regards to their employment. I remember hating to go to work so much that I started to feel physically sick. These unhelpful behaviors have also influenced my effectiveness as an educator because it causes me to be mindful about how I treat my co-workers as well as my students.
2. Outside of the school setting, I learned hula along with one of my friends. It was something that I wanted to do for myself that I enjoyed doing when I was younger. Because I was a lot older than when I first learned hula, it was a little more difficult than I remembered. But the sense of joy and accomplishment as well as being able to do something for myself that I enjoyed was enough motivation to help me during those times that I struggled.
3. To test this theory teachers will first need to gather baseline data. They will need to review each students’ academic standing and “normal” behavior prior to administering their point system. Teachers can then begin distributing points for behaviors/assignments that they would like to encourage. After a specified time, teachers should review student data to see if any changes occurred after awarding points. To see if the point system positively affects a students’ intrinsic motivation, teachers should then stop assigning points. If the teacher’s theory is correct, students should continue to perform at the same level as when they were awarded points.
4. I feel that the use of points for less motivated students would not be an effective strategy. Use of a point system for many of the lower motivated students may cause them to avoid risk taking for fear of making mistakes and having points deducted. Awarding points may also negatively shift the focus from learning to just doing the work to earn points which may cause students to “cheat”. Personally, I do assign points for work that is turned in - whether the student is proficient and has a good understanding or is still developing proficiency and understanding. I have never awarded (or deducted) points for behavior. I feel that this is something that should be addressed separately from a student’s academic scores. In addition, the crediting and debiting of points throughout the school day may hinder the development of a positive relationship between teachers and students. When students feel that their teachers care about them and are willing to provide support, they are able to develop a positive trusting relationship with their teacher(s). Awarding credit and/or deducting points throughout the day based on a student’s behavior may prevent students from trusting their teachers and building that relationship with them.
1. Being that I am a first year teacher, I will elaborate on my student teaching experience. As a student teacher I had to teach both Biology and Physics. Biology is a little more in my wheelhouse, however Physics is a subject I am not fully confident in. When teaching a Physics lesson, I made a mistake in doing a problem on the board. While the teacher noticed, she didn’t directly say I was wrong, but instead used it as a learning experience for the students to see what mistakes are commonly made. She waited for a student to point out the mistake, and then chimed in to say - “this shows that even teachers make mistakes so you need to be careful when showing your work and not skip steps!”. While I did feel very embarrassed, she used this as a learning experience for everyone. While I have not had any other big events that have impacted my effectiveness, I know that my respect is gained from my superiors when they give respect back to me.
ReplyDelete2. Outside of the school setting I have been working on learning Japanese on the Duolingo app. What motivates me to learn is being able to converse with some of my relatives and also hopefully to one day teach abroad in Japan for the summer. Being that there is no direct reward for doing this or practicing every day, I struggle with staying consistent. Even though I set reminders and notifications on my phone, I don’t always practice every day (even though I would like to). I even added time into my calendar and to-do list but sometimes I can’t find the motivation to do it! This is why I deeply relate with many of the students and their struggle to stay motivated.
3. I think this theory of motivating students with points also needs to be paired with verbal encouragement. In order for students to successfully follow this plan, they would need to first understand the tasks that they need to complete and also receive help if needed. To test this theory, teachers would need to have the highest scorers posted so that other students would feel motivated to do the same. Students are followers, so if they see other students working hard to get points, they will do the same.
4. I believe the students who are less motivated may be negatively affected because they will see the other students high-flying and think that they cannot catch up to them and what they are achieving. For these students, teachers may need to work with them separately so that they can receive extra help and get caught up. There are many pros and cons to this plan, although I feel like of the students I teach, this type of plan may slightly backfire. Although, I am willing to try it! While it could decrease self-value in the light of school, if executed well and students are supported it could go great.