Reflection

By the end of my practicum experience, I had discovered that “Johnny” was motivated to read when the material was about cars, and he was also a much more focused reader when he read out loud in a small group. “Sally” was motivated to read when she was given the chance to choose her own book, and “Arnold” liked to read selections from the integrated studies book about teeth to his entire class. When Johnny read about cars we could work on his phonemic awareness, when Sally read books that she liked she worked on her reading fluency, and when Arnold read aloud from the book about teeth he was practicing lots and lots of sight words.
The small child who informed me early on that I “couldn’t make him learn”, enjoyed learning about farm animals and farming equipment. In the library we found books about farming for him to read aloud to me, and since I am a Midwest farm girl, I was able to supply him stories from the farm. Because he was interested and wanted to read more about farms, he hardly noticed that we were working on his basic decoding skills while we read about tractors.
I was correct when I said that sometimes its just “tough cookies” and you have to learn about things that are not interesting to you, but as I have stated in my previous posts, making connections to subjects is what motivates kids to learn. As a teacher it is my job to make those connections for my students. When they make connections and they are motivated, they will become successful readers.

Imporvement, Progress, and Effort

Teachers evaluated student work with consideration for improvement, progress, and effort.
Grades are conditioned motivators. We are motivated to get good grades because we believe that we will receive both praise and valuable things (diplomas, jobs, higher salaries) for our accomplishments. But when is not capable of doing what is required to “make the grade” , their motivation to try goes out the window. When a teacher evaluates a student on their efforts and improvements, rather than just on the end product, the student can feel accomplishment even if their end product did not meet A+ standards. This is important because it motivates a student to try even harder the next time, and work towards being able to meet those higher standards. Kids who would otherwise give up can find the motivation to try again when they are evaluated based on effort.



A student who would normally be ashamed of his report card can be proud of himself when he is evaluated based on improvement, progress, and effort, rather than just the final product.

Interest and Engagement Were Important

-Learning interest and engagement were important variables when planning lessons. Standard curriculum was taught but tailored to the needs, strengths, weaknesses and interests of children.

"The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions."
— Ken Robinson (The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything)

I have included this quote from Sir Ken Robinson, because I think it speaks volumes about how we view instruction.
It is far easier to create a general lesson plan based on the curriculum that is provided by the district, than it is to listen to students, and determine what interests them. However, when we find what a student is interested in, we unlock the key to their motivation to read and learn.

The video below is a lecture given by Sir Ken Robinson. While motivation is just one of the many points that he addresses, I feel that this video is relevant to the topic because he focuses on creating instruction that is student-centered.

A Variety Of Materials Were Used

-All kinds of materials were used for reading, including math, science, and social studies. Students read historical novels, biographies, and informative texts, as well as magazines and the internet.




This year I learned about the "Trail of Tears", a relocation movement in 1831, in which 15,000 Native Americans were moved from the southeastern parts of the United States to “Indian Territory” in what is now Oklahoma. A great deal of what I learned came from the historical novel, The Journal of Jesse Smoke, by Joseph Bruchac. Although Jesse was a fictional character, I discovered that over 40 characters in the book were real people who were a part of the relocation. I could have learned this from a textbook, but reading the novel showed me how to identify with the character and become invested in learning about the Trail of Tears.
By using a variety of materials in math, history, integrated studies, and even science, we can connect students more deeply to the subject matter, which motivates reading.

Real Conversations Took Place

Real conversations were an important part of both literacy education, and finding what motivates a child. In class we learned that students are more motivated when they are a part of an interactive learning process, in a warm and open environment. In short, they feel that they can ask and answer questions without being judged. Conversation can be used as an informal assessment to see what students know, what they care about, and what they want to know. It is the ultimate in assessments because the questions you ask are based on their answers. These conversations can help you tailor your teaching to each child’s unique needs and interests.
Conversation between students and their peers is equally important. In a safe and comfortable environment, students can discuss what they are learning and share what they know without feeling afraid to be wrong. By sharing with each other, they will come up with new questions, and new topics, which motivates the to read and learn.