motivating from within - naesp 2012

Motivating From WithinA strength-based movement

Chris Wejr www.chriswejr.com@mrwejr

1. MOTIVATION of students and staff

2. Focusing on strengths vs deficits3. Feedback and Growth Mindset4. Moving from “Honour Roll” to

“Honour ALL”5. Teaching vs

rewarding/punishing

Today We Will Reflect Upon:

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What matters to me…

Kent Elementary School Agassiz, BC

For each student to master core skills, develop their strengths and interests and

become a confident learner.

“We cannot motivate others… we can only work to create the conditions for

people to motivate themselves.”

-- Edward Deci and Richard Ryan Image: http://flic.kr/p/8zWLAj

Intrinsic/Internal

Extrinsic/External

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AUTONOMY

MASTERY

PURPOSE

Daniel PinkThe Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us

Students

• Relationships• Assessment

FOR Learning• Interests and

passions• Leadership

Staff

• Shared decisions• Professional

autonomy• Passions/interests• TIME

For the Love of Books

• 5 teachers• Professional

autonomy• Support

=a school that loves books

Fed Ex Prep/Google Time

Time for Innovation

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REFLECT:

• What conditions do we provide with students and/or staff to motivate themselves?

• How can we create more?

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Focusing on Strengths

“Each child has a gift... We need to see and nurture these gifts so they emerge and

flourish throughout an individual’s life”

-- Lorna WilliamsImage: http://flic.kr/p/7JuLGh

Strength-based vs Deficit-based

“We don’t know who we can be…until we know what we can do”

-- Sir Ken Robinson

“If we are going to remediate weaknesses, we must have an equal commitment to building

strengths.”

“We must guide our children toward recognition and understanding of their

strengths.”

-- Jenifer Fox

Bring Out the StrengthsSir Ken Robinson & Aimee Mullins

The Strength of Dom

Showcasing the strengths of each student…

Power of Positivity

The Friday 5 Positive Phone Calls

Meaningful, relevant, descriptive feedback

Acknowledge

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REFLECT:• What actions can we take

to move toward a system that helps to bring out the strengths of staff and students?

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Feedback and a Growth Mindset

Fixed vs GrowthMindsets

Power of Descriptive Feedback

“I don’t divide the world into the weak and strong, or the successes and

failures… I divide the world into the learners and non-learners.”

-- Benjamin Barber

REFLECT:

• How can we help students and teachers develop more of a growth mindset and become more confident learners?

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Moving From

Honour Roll to

Honour All

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Rick Lavoie – Competition in Schools

"In the fixed mindset, to be successful,

you must be better than others"

Carol Dweck

“There is ample evidence that extrinsic motivators are likely to demotivate…

and that losing in a competition (of recognition) is even worse.”

Alfie Kohn

Celebrating Our Strengths

Monthly Assemblies

Every child is honoured for who they are rather than

what they did

REFLECT:

• How can we move toward a school culture that honours ALL students?

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Rewarding, Punishing& Hoping

vs

Teaching & Coaching

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My issues with rewards in school...

Will I get my student of the month prize now?

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Sitcom Motivation

“People use rewards expecting to gain the benefit of increasing another person’s

motivation and behaviour, but in so doing, they often incure the unintentional and

hidden cost of undermining that person’s intrinsic motivation toward the activity”

-- Jonmarshall Reeve

“One who is interested in developing and enhancing

intrinsic motivation in children, employees, students, etc.,

should not not concentrate on external-control systems such

as monetary rewards.”

-- Edward Deci

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Barry Schwartz – Practical Wisdom

Doing the right thing... just because it is the right thing to do.

Students need teaching.....not punishment.

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We live in a culture where many adults think of only one word, only one intervention, to deal with

kids who don’t meet adult expectations: consequences.

-- Dr. Ross Greene

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"The school discipline program is not working for the kids who aren't doing well and is not

needed by the kids who are." -- Dr. Ross Greene

Dr. Ross GreeneKids Do Well if They CAN

Justin

REFLECT

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What actions can we take to move away from rewards and punishment to a

culture that builds responsibility in our

students?

Final Reflections• What can we do to build responsibility in staff and

students by focusing more on intrinsic motivation?• How can move from a fixed mindset to a growth

mindset in our staff and students?• How can we place more emphasis on strengths of

our staff and students?• How can we work to honour all our students more

often?• How do we move toward teaching skills and away

from rewarding and punishing?

“We cannot motivate others… we can only work to create the conditions for people to motivate

themselves.”-- Deci and Ryan

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What are 2-3 things YOU can do

IMMEDIATELYto create the conditions for

staff and/or students?

Must Reads for Parents/Educators

DriveDaniel Pink

Lost at SchoolDr. Ross Greene

Punished by Rewards

Alfie Kohn

MindsetCarol Dweck

Chris Wejrwww.chriswejr.com

@mrwejr

chriswejr@gmail.com