This is my biggest insight of the year 2019 in theory of teaching that I am into now.
I found it on the Futurelearn and I am itching to share it! This is something that every teacher should watch! There is also a downloadable pdf report, but watching is more impressive, I promise. I hope the link would be always available.
* 'Motivating The Unmotivated-
Ten Ways To Get Your Students To DO Something’
By Ken Wilson
British Council: 17th January 2012
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Something else to share. Hmmm.
Motivation
Carl Rogers - theories of motivation, webinar:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/motivating-unmotivated
Carl Rogers, the American psychologist, talked about two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which affect learning and the desire to improve.
Intrinsic motivation — comes from the learner.
Extrinsic motivation — comes from an external source, where there is some kind of external reward for doing something, or consequence of notdoing something.
Rogers (1957) outlined 3 attitudinal qualities that a teacher, or in his words, a facilitator, should have to assist the learning process. They are empathy (seeing things from the students' viewpoint), authenticity (being yourself) and acceptance (of students' ideas and opinions).
Inspiring video, by Zoltan Dornyei
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2018/04/09/iatefl-safe-speaking-environments/
He looks at eight different factors that promote group cohesiveness, including cooperation, competition and teachers’ leadership styles.
Zoltán goes on to discuss group norms – the rules and regulations that govern classroom life, as well as unproductive norms. Three critical classroom norms he presents are:
1. The norm of mediocrity
2. The norm of tolerance
3. The norm of effort and perseverance
Watch the full video below to learn more about group dynamics and to see Zoltán share the five principles of a safe speaking environment.
I think praise is extremely important. However, it has to be for real. Students know very quickly if you’re not telling the truth. And I think to give out praise on a regular basis for the sake of giving out praise is very much the wrong approach for a teacher. So if I do give praise, they know it’s been well earned, and they really respond to it.
Giving praise to learners: https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/news/elt-news/giving-praise-learners
Listen to the teacher trainer Lindsay Clandfield talking about three important things to consider when motivating learners.
He mentions:
Rapport - the relationship and understanding we have with our learners Teacher attitude - our enthusiasm and attitude towards our teaching and lessons Teacher presence - giving learners your full attention; your voice; the way you move
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How to make it student-centered?
Student-centered class
There are many ways to incorporate student centered techniques into classroom resources and lessons:
1. Allow for student choice and autonomy. This might mean providing project, classroom and homework assignment options, as well as allowing students to design their own seating arrangements. Providing more types of question types in assessments also gives students the chance to make their own choices. Finally, encourage teachers to give the students a few minutes of downtime to use as they’d like (within reason of course).
2. Use open-ended questioning techniques. This practice encourages critical and creative thinking and enhances problem-solving skills. Open-ended questioning encourages clear communication and provides students with reassurance that their thoughts and ideas matter.
3. Engage in explicit instruction. Explicit instruction moves away from the skill and drill attitude of teaching. It is a much more direct and engaging method of instruction that pulls the students right into the heart of the lesson. Students are active participants in what is going on, rather than bystanders and onlookers.
4. Encourage student collaboration and group projects. When students work with each other they are learning a great deal more than just the lesson content. They are gaining an appreciation for the diversity that exists in our schools and communities. They are also learning to have respect for what may sometimes be very differing points of view. And finally, they are able to bounce their ideas back and forth with each other, creating a much greater opportunity to grow these ideas into something great.
5. Encourage student reflection. Student reflection allows students to slow things down a bit and take a step back to analyze things. It also allows time for their brains to process what they have been learning. Reflection creates space and time for individual and group growth.
6. Create individual self-paced assignments. All students don’t work at the same speed and assignments should reflect this. Allowing students to move through material at a rate that best fits their learning styles and needs makes it more likely that they will gain deeper understanding of the subject matter.
7. Get the students involved in community-based activities and service-learning projects. This helps students to see their important role in the larger world. They are given the chance to learn how valuable and fulfilling it can be to give back to others. Learning becomes more organic and less rigid. Students have the opportunity to see firsthand that learning opportunities surround us everywhere where we go.
(taken from this page: https://apasseducation.com/7-ways-to-create-a-student-centered-classroom/ )
