Motivational+Ideas

Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students!

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[|"Remediation Doesn't Work"]

[|9 Ways to Motivate Kids]

[|Extrinsic Motivation]

This is a good idea to motivate students by leaving a note from the teacher on their desk, once a week, to encourage them and to let them know that their hard work is recognized.
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Have different colored post-its all on the sides of the door that students can fill out every time someone does something "good". It can be sharing materials, helping, going out of their way for that person, etc. Here are some samples:

 Several shared school supplies with students who didn't bring any or have enough, some recognized when others helped them, and I like the one below that says that another students complimented her (which obviously she appreciated because it made her feel good).



This is GREAT motivation for students to keep their desks clean. Every Friday my mentor teacher would look at each students desk and the one whose desk was the neatest would get a note from the "desk fairy" and a snickers candy.

 This chart is a good way to hold students accountable for their behavior. It will allow them to examine themselves and their actions.

[|Student Motivation] This is a good way to motivate students before a test or even before a big day! I would use this for tests or if a student felt stressed out at all. [|Teachers Pay Teachers]

I would use brain breaks as a behavior management tool to let students know if they behave in class, they will get to have a brain break. The brain break box will have a variety of different activities the students can pick from. [|Breaks for the Classroom]

__Ten Ways to Motivate Students! __ 1. Pride! Luckily, there are some students who take pride in themselves and just plain want to do well. They want to make the teacher happy. Don't you love these kids? Don't you wish there were more of these? Unfortunately, there are a lot of kids who don't have pride in themselves, or just don't have enough. Therefore, we need the other nine.

2. Stickers! Children love stickers. A hefty supply is necessary for most teachers of little ones. Personally, I usually only give out stickers for homework, but many teachers give out stickers for daily work. My students work pretty hard for one sticker for homework each day! On special occasions, I'll pull out the scented stickers!

3. Working with a partner! Kids are social, and the idea of working with another child is super motivating. Let them choose their own partner, and you'll be their hero! They can read with a partner, write a story with a partner, or practice math facts. There's a whole world of possibilities.

4. Let them earn an extra recess! I think this is a "win-win". We know that kids need to run and exercise and burn off steam. The promise of being able to do what they need to do is motivating for the kids to work!

5. Inspire them! I find if I say a few words about a book, the children all want to read that book. If I show them a sample of my writing, they want to try a similar piece of writing. If I make something look interesting or fun, they want to try it. I could never sell cars, but I sure can sell a book to a kid!

6. Let them put something cool on their desk for a while! Personally, I use a collection of beanie babies that I've saved since my daughter was little. They can keep it on their desk for the day. If they do something quite spectacular, I let them keep a little flag on their desk for a week. They are mighty proud of these, and they can tell you what each little trophy is for! 7. Play a game! There are so many possibilities for games. There are group games like Around the World, Scoot, and variations of Jeopardy, Hollywood Squares, and Family Feud. Then there are partner games, centers, and activities. Sometimes they have so much fun, they don't even realize they're learning!

8. Group Projects! When there is a product and a "performance" involved, the kids get moving! Most kids love working in small groups putting together some sort of project, then others are super motivated by the thought of standing in front of their class. They really remember these group projects for years to come.

9. Have a dance party! This works well for my group. You can work out the details, but if they reach a certain point, just stop for the moment, and turn on the music. My kids love this, as it happens to be a group that really responds to music and movement. It only takes a few minutes of the day, and they've had their exercise and burned off some steam. That makes a dance party another "win-win"! Other forms of this type of group reward can be a pizza party or a make your own ice cream party. (The dance party is cheaper, though!)

0. Special recognition! Single out a student for spectacular work. I often read examples of good work, or hold up examples of good effort on handwriting. We do Student of the Week. I have an Improvement Board, where they get stickers and work their way up the ladder when we notice they have improved at something - it can be anything from remembering to pass in homework, to improvement in behavior, to improvement in knowing math facts. One of my students said moving on the improvement board was even better than earning a flag for a week! [|Elementary Matters]

I would give this to my students at the beginning of the school year to try and ease their mind and to encourage them.