Creating a Learning Environment and Intervention to Misbehavior

Creating a Learning Environment
In class, we discussed the importance of creating a classroom environment conducive to learning, and I have a few ideas about how I will achieve this. In deciding the aspects of my classroom environment, I thought about classes that I have been in. I thought about what has worked for me as a student and what has not worked. In jotting down my ideas, two of them stuck out the most to me: respect and communication. If I can use these two aspects as the foundation of my classroom environment, I think it will be a success.

To ensure a happy, comfortable, and carefree atmosphere in my classroom, I believe it is important to establish respect early on. If I thought my class was mature enough, I would only give one rule: to respect everyone. I want my students to respect each other and other faculty in the school. And it's not just a one way street; I will also value and respect each and every one of them.

I also believe it is important to keep up communication with parents and students. Keeping parents in the loop will allow them to help in their child's education. It helps connect the school and learning environments. And when parents reinforce what is learned during school, it's more likely that the subject will stick.

Communication with students is important as well. Talking with students about their interests and what's happening in their lives lets them know that they are cared for and gives them a feeling of importance. This can give students a more positive attitude about school and  possibly help motivate them to learn more. It's also important to keep up communication with the students about their school work. This includes discussing with a student about where they are in the work. Ask the students if they feel behind in a subject, or if they feel comfortable with the material that's been covered so far. Find out what they subjects they like and which ones they hate. This can be helpful information when planning lessons.

The link below goes to an article containing strategies that can help teachers communicate with parents. This will be a good resource as I will soon need to find ways communicate with parents.
Strategies for Communicating with Parents

Intervention to Misbehavior
Now to switch things up a bit, I'll cover the "Intervention to Misbehavior" part of this post. The hypothetical problem is about third grader, Lisa. She is causing her group to get off task and not finish work because she does not like her assigned responsibilities in the group and refuses to do them. How would I intervene in this situation?

First while the class is doing group work, I would walk up to Lisa's desk and quietly ask her what she is supposed to be doing and remind her to get on task. If the problem persists, I would talk to her individually after class about why her group is not getting its work done. If talking individually with Lisa doesn't work, I might try moving her to a different group because the problems might be stemming from the individuals in the group not working well together. If she continues to cause problems in different groups, I would remove her from all groups and give her individual work. Hopefully at this point, Lisa would realize that working in a group is better than working alone, and she would be willing to participate in the group even when she does not like her responsibilities.

Motivation

Theories of Motivation that Apply to Me

The goal theory of motivation is one that applies to me. The goals that I set for myself motivate me to accomplish various tasks. I have general goals such as becoming the perfect teacher and pulling off my my upcoming wedding without a hitch. I also have more specific goals that will eventually lead me to reach my general goals. Examples of these would be writing a six page paper or ordering wedding invitations by the end of the week. If I did not set these specific goals, I might never be able to reach my overall goals.

In class we discussed that specific goals are the most effective at motivating students. This is the case for me. Specific goals are more likely to be accomplished because they are more easily defined. The obscure and general goals are harder to check off the list and say they are done. How can I say I have finally become the perfect teacher when there is always room for improvement? I will never be able to check that goal off my list.

We also said that short-term goals are better motivation than long-term. I believe this is because the pressure to accomplish the goal on time. For example when I first got engaged, I knew that I had a year to plan my wedding. I looked for inspiration to get an idea of what I wanted, but I did not go out and buy or reserve anything because I thought I had plenty of time. But now the wedding is only four months away, and I'm beginning to feel the pressure and stress of running out of time. This motivates me to start renting chairs, ordering invitations, and booking a photographer.

We also discussed performance goals verses learning goals. It was said that performance goals are better motivation for students with more confidence, and learning goals are better for students with low self-efficacy. Performance goals work better for me because I like to see what I have accomplished. It is nice to achieve a learning goal, but I would also like to see how I can apply what I learned.

How the Goal Theory Can Apply to Your Students

Now how can I apply what I know about the goal theory of motivation to my future students?  I would use this in planning assignments. I would break up larger assignments into parts. For example if I wanted my students to write a paper, I would make different due dates for the outline, the introduction paragraph, the body, and the conclusion instead of just having them turn in one paper. I would also try to set more learning goals for my students who are struggling and may feel that they are unable to improve their circumstances.

Achievement Goal Theory Motivation Video

This link goes to a presentation video for a class at the University of Central Missouri. It goes more in depth in the goal theory to motivation and has a lot of information presented in our textbook.

Impressions From the First Day of Class

 
Reflection of Class Discussion
      A good portion of the first day's class discussion came from the question, "Why Teaching?" Why did my classmates and I chose teaching to be our profession?
      I enjoyed taking part and listening to this discussion because it was encouraging and great to hear that others were doing this for the same reasons I am. All of us are studying to become teachers to care for, love, motivate, encourage, and provide the best opportunities for the students we will one day have.
     The link below leads to a piece by CNN about why teachers teach. I find that it goes right along with our class discussion. I can really relate with one of the teachers, Mrs. Longshore. Like her, I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age due to the examples my wonderful teachers set for me.

Why They Teach Despite It All - CNN

What Are Your Personal Objectives for This Class?
     My personal objective for Educational Psychology 401 is to learn as much as I can about how my students will learn so that I can adjust my teaching. I also would like to learn about proven effective ways to motivate my students and conduct my classroom. As of right now, I'm clearly not ready to take on my own classroom, but by the end of this class I hope to be a step closer to being fully prepared.

What Do You Want to Explore Deeper?
     I would like to explore topics such as: motivation, behavioral issues, and learning styles.