Our main goal as teachers
should be to help each child to be successful. Here are a few tips for creating
a motivating atmophere which is structured for success:
- Accept student's ideas in a positive manner
- Give lots of positive feedback
- Use humour to relieve anxiety
- Recognize appropriate behaviour and reward it
- Praise students infront of their peers
- Make sure your assessment is based on your curriculum objectives
- Provide clear directions for learning and assessment activities
- Use templates and guidelines to help students remember the steps to accomplish
a task
- Ensure to make positive comments and suggestions when giving assessment
feedback (even when this task may seem difficult!)
- Be available for students who need time for one-on-one consultation
- Vary your assessment strategies to accomodate a variety of learning styles
(oral presentations, observations, artistically oriented tasks, interviews,
group projects, etc.)- do not stick to one type of assessment (e.g., pen and
paper test)
- Choose a student-centred style over a teacher-centred
style. Students have higher levels of achievement in student-centred classrooms.
- Let the students in on what you have planned for them
and state your objectives clearly
- Chose meaningful learning and assessment activities-
ones that have significance for them and their lives
- Be flexible- use cooperative learning and allow for multiple
"answers"
- Keep your goals and objectives clear and task-oriented
- Create a clear and comprehensible framework for learning
but don't be too rigid and overly structured
- Make learning (both process and content) match assessment
- Use a variety of testing situations
- Tests should be formattive and diagnostic
- Use portfolios- focus on students progress and developement
Sources: "Tips on Motivating Students"
by R. Sullivan and J.L. Wircenski and "Structuring Classrooms
for Success" by Eschenmann
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