Workshop given on behalf of Jennie Roloff-Rothman, at the 7th ELT Career and Professional Development Conference.

1. How to get the best out of your students
Carol Begg. ECAP 2013

2. A little about me...

3. “Disaffected children can be bored,
depressed, anxious, or even angry
about their presence in the
classroom; they can be withdrawn
from learning opportunities or even
rebellious towards teachers and
classmates.”
- Skinner & Belmont (1993, p.571)

4. Top 5 demotivating factors (Dörnyei (2001))
• Unfair / Confusing grading & assignments
• Teacher being... bored, boring or
unorganised
• Dislike of subject
• Poor organisation of materials
• Teacher being... unapproachable, self-
centred or insulting

5. “Highly motivated children are easy
to identify: They are enthusiastic,
interested, involved, and curious;
and they actively cope with
challenges and set-backs. These are
children who should stay in school
longer, learn more, feel better about
themselves, and continue their
education after high school.”
- Skinner & Belmont (1993, p.571)

6. Motivational
teaching
practice
Creating
basic
motivational
conditions
Generating
initial
motivation
Maintaining &
protecting
motivation
Encouraging
positive
reflection
Dörnyei (2001)

7. • Communities of practice - belonging
• Fairness & equality
• Positive discipline
• Engagement is optimised within a social context
• An open & positive atmosphere
The classroom,
learners, & teacher Creating basic
motivational
conditions

8. Activity: Building class rapport &
encouraging communication
post-it & pen
Write:
Name
2-3 recent
events
Carol
Arranged birthday
celebration for parents
Went to Hotaru festival
Carol
Arranged birthday
celebration for parents
Went to Hotaru festival

9. • Related to learners / real world / needs/ people
• Task design
• Variety, diversity (integrated), meaningful
• Learners need to see that it is achievable & that they are
improving or gaining new skills
• Grade the task not the text
• Foster autonomy
Materials, success, &
learner belief
Challenge
Success
Relevance
Generating initial
motivation

10. Activities:
• Relevance: “This street, this
town”*
• Task adjustment: “Wall Papers”
• Assessing motivation: “Go with
the flow”
• Noticing progress: “The lesson
that was”

11. • Teachers need to clearly communicate expectations
• Goals need to be achievable and useful
• Encourage self-efficacy
•Successful experiences - Peer Success - Encouragement
• Autonomy
• Goals - Assessment - Groupings - Materials - Deadlines
• Learner involvement = Learner voice
• Negotiate & plan with struggling students
interdependence,
autonomy, & self-
efficacy
Maintaining &
protecting motivation

12. Activities:
• Autonomous goal setting:
“Charting your aims”
• Fostering autonomy: “Needs
from the heart”
• Student voice: “Face down,
face up”
• Struggling students: “Man over
board”
?
?
?
?
?

13. • Sincerity of praise
• Encourage positive self-reflection
• Positive rewards (ClassDojo)
• Grading vs. Rewarding
Feedback, rewards, &
learner satisfaction
Motivation = qualitative changes in learners’
self perception
Motivation ≠ quantitative achievement
goals
Encouraging positive
reflection

14. Activities:
• Learner wants: Traffic lights
• Reflection: Pie charts, Diaries
• Needs analysis: “How can we
help each other?”
• Teacher reflection: “My
favourite teacher”
http://www.classdojo.com/

15. Review
• Make it achievable
• Add variety
• Highlight meaning
• Encourage reflection
• Foster autonomy
Be...
positive
clear supportive
role-model

16. • Ames,C., (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation.
Journal of Educational Psychology, 84 (3) 261-271.
• Dörnyei, Z., Ushioda, E,.(2011). Teaching and Researching Motivation.
Great Britain, Pearson.
• Dörnyei, Z., (2001) Motivational strategies in the language classroom.
United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press.
• Foord, D., (2009) The Developing Teacher: Practical activities for
professional development. England, DELTA Publishing.
• Gross Davis, B., (1993). Tools for teaching. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
• Meddings, L., Thornbury, S., (2009) Teaching Unplugged: Dogme in
English Language Teaching. England, DELTA Publishing
• Skinner, E., Belmont, M., (1993). Motivation in the classroom: Reciprocal
effects of teacher behaviour and student engagement across the
school year. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85 (4), 571-581.
References