The 6 C's in the Classroom

I just finished the book The Motivation Breakthrough by Ken Lavoie. Wow! What a great book, it is filled with wisdom for both parents and teachers. It is quite a dense read, but you are sure to finish it with a new motivation for working with kids.

A series of chapters that devoted itself to discussing with the reader about a motivating classroom. Lavoie determined six 'C' adjectives that will ensure students feel safe and capable in school.

Creativity: Encouraging student's creativity and teaching in creative ways can be very motivating. Allowing students to share their artwork, music, or natural abilities in class can be phenomenally encouraging for a student to feel motivated to complete an assignment or task. Understanding your students and applying that knowledge can switch a classroom around. Students need to feel cared about in order to attempt completing tasks that may be daunting or new.


Community: "Each member is recognized, accepted, and embraced." Creating community changes with each new class or student that enters as dynamics will change. It's important to establish rules and boundaries in the classroom that allows students to feel validated and accepted. Modeling acceptance and encouragement will do more than any rule could do. However,


Clarity: Expectations need to be clear. Students should understand exactly what is expected of them. It's important to break down multistep processes down, by chunking them down. To ask a child to get their homework, might be too ambiguous. Creating checklists can be very helpful both in the classroom and at home. Incorporating clarity can reduce time that is spent catching kids up and not getting frustrated with students who are struggling to stay with everyone.


Coaching: To take an approach to teaching as a coach can really change a classroom dynamic. When you watch a good coach, they are encouraging and help kids develop their weaknesses so that they are stronger. Creating a positive environment in the classroom is not just focused on giving praise and no consequence, but also on developing skills. As a teacher, continuing to refine our practice and developing relationships with students it essential to understand their strengths and weaknesses.


Conferencing: Create a structured time each day or week to have conferencing one on one with students. This is necessary to continue to develop and learn about students and what is really going on in their lives. Students may be more willing to communicate when their peers aren't listening. It's important during this conversation to create that community that is developed in the classroom, by asking the student about their life, "How was that baseball game last week," "How's your new baby sister." Setting the tone for the conference is important to maintain motivation. At these conferences they can be based on academics or just a time for a student to ask questions and for the teacher to clarify, whatever you choose, keep in mind that that conferencing isn't about reprimanding but coaching and encouraging.

Control:  Students are motivated when they have a buy-in. It's no fun to go somewhere that is controlled in everyway. Allowing students to have choices and make decisions is a powerful tool in the classroom. Establishing boundaries is necessary because the teacher is still responsible for learning and management. Lavoie discusses that teachers must find their way in managing both support and challenge. Too much support and no challenge is just as unmotivating as too much challenge and no support.
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Hopefully you find these helpful. To get more in detail about Motivation, read The Motivation Breakthough.

Preventing Learned Helplessness

Preventing Learned Helpless and Developing Confidence

As a mom, I have often found myself 'hovering' around my child, ensuring both her safety and obedience. From the age of birth till 2, I become a 'snow plow' parent, plowing away the obstacles in my child's life to ensure a smooth and safe journey from each activity that she created. Finding myself on the jungle gym with my daughter, sitting in every room with her, monitoring her every move. Although I believed that I was helping and supporting her, I also needed to give her independence as she grew. It become obvious when I saw other children her age showing boldness and climbing up the stairs and going down the slide fearlessly. My daughter struggled to feel confident climbing the stairs. In this moment, I realized that it was time to give my daughter more power and rein allowing her to develop confidence. Developmentally, I believe that children do require a bit of 'snowplowing,' but being aware of their growth is crucial, as well as their temperament. My child does not posses a dare-devil approach to life, she assess and weighs options, even at a young age, teaching independence was a struggle more so than obedience due to her innate nature.


A continued snow-plow approach develops what is know as learned helplessness, the lack of motivation and confidence to solve problems due to their conditioned state of being helped. It is natural for parents and teachers to want to help our children and kids, most of the time it is necessary, however, it is not how much we help them, but in what way that causes issues. I know that had I continued to hover over my daughter and not allow her to fail and make mistakes, I too would have conditioned her to learn helplessness.

When we pull a part the word, learned helplessness, we see both learn and help, contradictory by nature. To learn is defined as to "gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught," (Oxford Dictionaries). The definition of help: "make it easier for (someone) to do something by offering one's services or resources" (Oxford Dictionaries). In essence we are teaching our child to "acquire skill by being taught" to constantly accept other's ability "to make it easier for" themselves. We are creating a culture that lacks motivation.

How can we create proactive students/children?





















First, it is important to self assess our behavior as parents or teachers with students. It is especially easy to be quick to offer help to students that may have a learning difference, difficult situation, or even an injury. It is important to take a broader view on our roles as parents and look at how can I actually help teach my child the skill they are requiring help for. Most times children really do need help, but their motivation and drive to attempt to solve the problem has been downplayed so often that they lack the tools to feel confident and capable. We will need to take  active steps to help our children learn how to solve a problem.

 Back to my story about being on the jungle gym with my daughter, I still occasionally go on the jungle gym with her, especially if it is a new park, and help her observe safe spots and appropriate activities her. Here I am using what I know about my daughter's need to observe and assess situations and accompany her. Then I help her choose a slide or two to go down with me. She sits on my lap and we ride down. The next time we go up she sits between my legs so as feel the sensation of riding alone. Finally, she is required to tour the jungle gym on her own. When she is ready to attempt to slide down, I help pull her legs to the edge and help her down. Finally, she will need to do it herself.

I create steps that start with full dependence and slowing progress towards independence. This safely ensure that a child feel both safe and confident in any given situation. Hopefully, using this approach you will begin to see how important it is to give our children opportunities to attempt success. Supporting with words of encouragement is also a key component in helping students to not feel stuck in their failure, resorting back to that learned helplessness.

Motivation Monday

It's SUMMA TIME!!

School's out and I'm ready to play!! What are your goals this month?

I always make one of those Summer Bucket Lists and they never get done. Then I beat myself up. So this summer, I'm focusing on enjoying the moment. Letting memories take place wherever. We don't have any vacations planned and I'm thrilled! It will be fun to just ENJOY the summer time. 

My fitness goals are to incorporate more Tone It Up Bootycalls. 1. Because I love to start the day with working out. and 2. It is getting hot up in here!!

I also need to work on my flexibility and yoga skills. I love the serenity and challenges that yoga brings in my life. 

So do you have any fun challenges? Goals? Plans?

Let's GET EM!!

 

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Motivational Monday

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King!

Don't you find it funny when one thing after another happens and reminds you to change?!

When I found this quote below I wanted to share how this message of selflessness has been on my mind often. 

What am I doing for others?

I truly believe in community and I think MLK did too. I look at this quote through a Christian perspective, probably similar to the author of this quote, and know how we were created to be a part of something greater. 

Community has proven to help support, thrive, and grow causes of all sorts. Changes don't occur alone, but with support. 

And in those moments of frustration and setbacks, we can't dwell on what could have been. We must have hope, "infinite hope," as MLK says.

There have been countless times where I have metaphorically thrown myself on the ground and acted like a child, when something doesn't go my way. But I'm reminded of the hope of Christ, that all will work out, not as I have planned but as He has. Having hope I believe is difficult. We are so trained to see and believe, to expect results. I guess thats just part of having Faith in someone bigger, knowing you don't have to be perfect, knowing that you are forgiven.

This week I'm going to focus on doing more for others, to listen and not be so quick to speak.

I linked up with

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Why I Can't Just Run

It seems that all I share about is my love for running. I know I'm obsessed. I never thought I was an outdoorsy kind of gal, but I crave hitting the pavement and rest days are SOOOOOOO difficult for me. 

I've noticed that since having Lil and doing more weights/toning my running has gotten stronger. I will say it was its strongest when I was doing hot yoga daily. Stretching is key to avoiding injuries, but its easier said then done. I got a foam roller from Christmas and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It helps me stretch my muscles and gets me excited about stretching after running (I'm not sure that's possible, but it really works. You know how new running clothes make you faster. Like that!)

I've been working hard on staying strong and not skinny. I still have those nasty inner thoughts that tell me I need to be thinner, but you know that saying "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I think its wrong! Nothing feels as good as being STRONG! I love that I can throw Lil around, even though she's pushing close to 3o lbs (Way to go, LIL!!). I love that I can run and play with her. 

This is another reason why I want to start some sort of mommy workout community. Accountability is so important to staying on top of your health. It's easy to let your mind ttrick you into one more cookie and a week away from the gym. But when you incorporate friendship and camaraderie, who can resist that?!

I think that's why I'm so inspired by the Tone It Up ladies. They have realized the importane of being a part of a loving, health centered community. And they make it fun!!

Anyway, as much as I love to run, I'm trying to find more of a balance in my fitness life. 

However...did I mention that I'm training for a marathon...when will I learn?!

Do you have a fitness friend who keep you motivated? Who inspires you to stay healthy?

 

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