MOTIVATION!

Give me an M!

“M, you got your M, you got your M.”

“O, you got your O, you got your O.”

“T, you got your T, you got your T.”

“I, you got your I, you got your I.”

“V, you got your V, you got your V.”

“A, you got your A, you got your A.”

“T, you got your T, you got your T.”

“I, you got your I, you got your I.”

“O, you got your O, you got your O.”

“N, you got your N, you got your N.”

What does that spell? MOTIVATION! YA! You got it! Go for it!

No matter how much of a cheerleader a teacher thinks they can be, or how dynamic they plan their lesson, there will always be students that are still demotivated. Since it is the end of the semester some teachers may be feeling this spell where students appear to have been hit by the zombie truck. But do not despair! A recent article offers up some tips and tricks for students that may be lacking motivation.

Attention parents! This may be of interest to you as well. After all you are #1 in your students’ life!
http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/21-simple-ideas-to-improve-student-motivatio/

Ready - Set - Go!

Read More

Compliments

The semester is winding down and I think it is important to leave on a positive note no matter the challenges we faced. With this in mind I have created a dynamic lesson on COMPLIMENTS! This lesson focuses on trying to come up with unique adjectives about each other.

First students will practice making sentences. After this they will write a compliment for each student and then fold it up. It will be anonymous so be sure that no one write their names. Students will give the compliments they have written to each other. After they have finished they will read each one. It may be fun to read them in pairs or small groups and try to guess who wrote it. Finally the students will share their favorite compliment that they have received with the class.

Here is some advice when giving compliments:

1. Acknowledge their uniqueness: 
Make sure the compliment focuses on the unique talents of the individual. Are they artistic? Good at sports? Is so then say this. Many times people also notice features that we forget about ourselves. For example: “You are so thoughtful, I really appreciate that you always remember to bring an extra pen for me.”

2. Be Specific:
Point out what makes them different by giving examples:
You were great during the presentation, you were so creative and confident.
You are very funny. I liked your joke about …
Nice ... (handbag, shirt, earnings). I really like your fashion sense.
You are such a good friend, thank you for being there when...

That’s it! It’s really that simple. Be sure to show appreciation to those around you. When was the last time you told your friends or family how much you love and appreciate them in your life?  Don’t forget to tell them why they mean so much to you.
Example: I love you because you always support me.
You are such a good friend because you listen to my problems.

Remember: “Gratitude is the key to happiness.”

Read More