FIRST CLASS

Motivations in the Classroom

WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL EFFECT ON YOU AS A TEACHER OF STUDENTS WHO LACK

MOTIVATION? As with any situation with repetitive negative feedback, being surrounded by and feeling overwhelmed by students who lack motivation can weigh heavily on a teacher. It can lead to a loss in passion for both the act of teaching and the content being taught. The situation can quickly compound upon itself, as the teacher has less passion in their teaching, the student’s lack of motivation continues to grow. However, this cycle is not only reversible but can be used conversely, increasing the positive outlook of both parties. The key to success in this endeavor is an understanding of student motivation and a teachers role in affecting those motivations.

WHAT FEARS DO YOU THINK YOUR STUDENTS HAVE?

Having been a student and remembering what it was like for myself at their age, I find it easy to recognize many of the common fears that hinder student success. One of the first concerns a student experiences is finding their way through the social trials of their peers and trying to figure out where they fit in or if they can fit in at all. Many are afraid of their own intelligence and are either afraid to show what they know or feel that they can never compete. Additionally, many students are intimidated by the course material or the expectations of the curriculum, it becomes overwhelming. Additionally, I find that students are afraid of not meeting expectations, be it those of their parents, their teachers, their peers, or the ones they have set for themselves.

HOW WILL YOU MITIGATE THESE FEARS?Firstly, I will focus on lowering the stress level in the class by making a very clear statement from day one that the standard I hold them to is the one they set for themselves and that I have every confidence that each and everyone of them can leave my classroom with a good grade, not because the topic was easy, not because I went easy on them, but because they did the work to earn it. Sometimes just voicing confidence in the students can do amazing things to boost morale and improve success. Next, I’ll break the ice in the classroom. This is an Art class, Art classes aren’t built for tidy rows of desks or silent study, it’s a place for activity and expression. Rather than going straight into the syllabus or course outline, I would jump them right into the material, such as an active gallery of works produced by previous students. At higher levels, the students can also jump into visual introductions, producing caricatures of themselves, their friends or families, and/or personal interests. I believe this allows them a creative way to jump into the subject while getting to know each other in a way that goes beyond just going around the room and saying their name, age, and random fact about themselves.

WHY ARE STUDENT FEEDBACK MECHANISMS IMPORTANT?

Student feedback mechanisms are essential to student success. Feedback firstly establishes a forum for open and honest communication between teacher and student. The primary function of student feed back mechanisms is to increase the student’s awareness of their successes and opportunities for success while encouraging positive reflection and building plans for future academic success. No matter what mechanism a teacher utilizes for feedback, it must be as immediate as possible to create positive reinforcement and so that the feedback can be considered by the student before the next assignment comes into play. Constructive feedback allows a student to be aware of flaws in their work without feeling torn down. Instead the feedback should give them specific direction in how they can continue or improve their success. This process gives the student the opportunity to understand how they are being assessed how they can improve, giving reason to the grades they receive and motivation to progress rather than just an empty number at the top of a page.

DESCRIBE THE STUDENT FEEDBACK MECHANISMS YOU WILL BUILD.

As an Art teacher the types of feedback in the classroom are not quite the same as in core content classes since their aren’t the same kind of tests or assignments, however feedback is still vital. I find that personal feedback with every assignment is necessary for success. I would let the student know which portions of their work that I think are successful and which could be pursued further in their next piece. I would ask questions for the student to consider when approaching the next assignments. For larger assignments I would rather have face to face feedback where the student has the opportunity to reflect on how they think they did, what questions and struggles they had while they worked and what things they feel they enjoyed and experienced success in. This creates a two way feedback for the student, allowing them a voice in the process. Another form of feedback that I recently experienced and enjoyed was anonymous peer feedback. “Gallery Walks” and discussion are common place, but in this case the feedback occurred in the form of anonymous sticky notes that provided honest feedback from my peers. It both build my confidence and gave me some great ideas that I may have felt to pressured to considered otherwise.

WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS WILL YOU PERFORM TO CONSISTENTLY MOTIVATE YOUR STUDENTS?

Throughout my behavioral research I have continued to be a supporter of operant conditioning, particularly in the form of positive reinforcement and negative punishment. An example of positive reinforcement in the Art classroom often exists in the form of praise and public display of the student’s work. This is a process that I would use frequently because the student can feel proud of the work they have performed and recognized for their efforts, leading them to pursue better work for the recognition that follows. As an example of negative punishment, the first I find applicable is the removal of some of the privileges that are unique to the Art classroom. In schools where the students are allowed to have their cell phones, it is very easy to allow the students to use their phones and earbuds to play their music of their choice to feed their mood while they work, which is positive reinforcement in and of itself. However, if the student’s effort or focus begins to decrease or they abuse this privilege by wasting time texting or playing games then this special privilege can quickly be removed. Secondly, I feel that relating what they are learning to real-world experience helps fill in the “Why?” that students often ask when learning, so as often as possible I would seek to immerse the students in real-world applications of art through museums, public galleries, and face time with professional artists.

EXPLAIN WHY ESTABLISHING GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH THE PARENTS IS CRUCIAL.

According to the multiple studies analyzed in 1994 by Henderson and Berla of the U.S. Department of Education, parental and familial involvement in children’s education has significant benefits toward the success of the child. This includes higher personal achievement including grades and achievement, despite varied ethic backgrounds or socioeconomic statuses. It also includes a higher self-esteem and more positive attitude about school. It also reduces occurrences of disciplinary action and remedial classes. The studies also showed positive benefits for the parents including increased sensitivity to the needs of their children and an increased involvement in school activities. It also provides the parents with a better awareness of what their child is learning, how they are learning it, and why. The best way to encourage increased parental involvement is through frequent and productive communication with them. As a teacher, it is my duty to establish a pathway to good communication with the student’s parents/family early on so that it may provide the most benefit possible and further the academic success of each child.

 HOW WILL YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR PARENTS?

I understand that as an Art teacher I am not part of the core content curriculum, nevertheless, I do feel it is still important to maintain active communication with the families, perhaps even more so because the parents may not understand the value of the work the student is creating. In a perfect world, I would prefer to get face time with the parents or family of each child at least once a year through the scheduling of parent/teacher conferences. Another way I can reach parents is by being actively involved in the school as much as I can, providing a convenient opportunity to meet the parents of students that have come in for art shows, book fairs, bake sales, student performances, and sporting events. Additionally, when traditional face time is not available, I feel that the appropriate use of technology is key. Email communication is convenient and can easily be created with priority levels and read-receipts. I have seen social media also used as an effective communication method by establishing class blogs through the school website or even class Facebook pages. Lastly, I find that feedback mechanisms are also entirely effective to establish constructive communication with parents just as well as they would with the students. It can mean a lot to commend a parent on the success of their child while also providing feedback that can improve the child’s academic success.

FIRST CLASS: GETTING TO KNOW YOU 7TH GRADE

• OBJECTIVE: The student will introduce themselves to one another in small groups, then share what they have learned with the class.

• SEQUENCE: Example intro: “Okay everyone, I want you to grab a seat for just a few moments but don’t expect to stay in them for long. We’ve got some fun things to do today, so I just want to go over a few things and then we’ll get to it!” I will then begin the class with a brief review of class expectations and highlight key projects featured in the course (5 minutes). Once this review is complete the students will count off into small groups and will have just 5 minutes to introduce themselves to one another in their group ( 5 minutes). Each person will then make a drawing depicting things they remember about one of the persons in their group. (15 minutes). As an example I will provide a drawing that introduces myself.

• ASSESSMENT: Once the drawings are complete, the students will take turns introducing the person their drawing is about, indicating in their drawing what they drew and how that pertains to the person they just met. This will continue until all persons have been introduced or until class ends (Leave 5 minutes for clean up). If some students have been missed because time ran short, these students will be introduced during the focus activity of the next class.

    WHY IS MASTERY OF YOUR COURSE CONTENT RELEVANT TO THEM BEYOND THEIR FORMAL SCHOOLING?

While Art is not part of the core subjects that are most focused upon in the current subject-centered curriculum, it’s influences on a child’s development carries well beyond their public education experience. According to a report by Americans for the Arts, art education serves to strengthen problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities. These are valuable throughout a student’s education as well as in their future careers. Art also increases a child’s cultural awareness which can help the student explore and embrace diversity in society. In findings reported in Champions of Change (Fiske,1999), the study found that art significantly benefited the overall academic success of students of lower socioeconomic statuses, which could lead to greater opportunities beyond their formal schooling. Additionally, the study found that children who were in fine-arts classes were able to perform better when working in groups than the students who weren’t and were also more capable of self-direction and improved communication skills. Once again, this skill is also translates into the future success of the students.