A tale of two teachers
The Bureau County Republican is working with first-year teacher Rachel Gross of Princeton who is teaching third grade at John F. Kennedy School In Spring Valley and retiring teacher Roxana Noble of Princeton who teaches English and literature to seventh-grade students at Logan Junior High School in Princeton. Throughout the school year, the BCR will pose a question to both teachers. Following is this week's question and their answers:
With the school year well underway, how do you keep your students motivated?
Roxana Noble's answer
Using the element of surprise and doing the unexpected all through the year keeps students motivated for me. For example, at the beginning of the school year I talk to my classes about making good choices. Instead of just lecturing in the classroom, when the students enter the room I tell them to follow me outside. Then I have them line up single file in a straight line facing me, and I give them choices to make. They step either to their left or their right depending on which choice they select. As the activity goes on, the choices get harder and harder. At the end of the lesson, we’ve had a nice diversion from the classroom setting (I always pick a beautiful day.), and the students remember how hard some choices are to make.
On Oct. 19, I ventured outside the classroom again with my advanced literature class for a study of local history at Oakland Cemetery in Princeton. Integrating multiple content areas, students were asked to collect and graph data from tombstones, write epitaphs, consider changes in life span due to environmental and physical factors, make tombstone rubbings, and conduct research of local history. Students looked forward to visiting our outdoor classroom all week and were not disappointed.
When we discuss the history of our Logan Junior High building, I also try the unexpected. After discussing the idea of cornerstones, I ask students where Logan’s cornerstone is located. Usually no one knows, so I say, “Well, let’s go find it!” Once again, we leave our room, and I usually let the students take turns leading us to where they think it might be. Once we find the cornerstone, they never forget where or what it is.
When we can’t go outdoors, we sometimes bring the outdoors inside. October is Scary Story Month in seventh-grade English classes. After creating our stories in our computer writing lab, we transform our room into a campsite by pushing the desks back and sitting on the floor around an open campfire (artificial, of course). Reading the stories in the dark, complete with special effects and s’mores treats, is a memorable experience.
Classroom competitions also help students stay motivated. While studying "Call of the Wild," we learn about the real Iditarod Sled Dog Race and have a competition based on that event. Students research the history of the race and the current year’s mushers, and then they pick the competitor who they think will win the race. Following the nine- to 10-day race via Internet, students are focused on the event until the very end, hoping to win the competition like the musher they picked.
After finishing our end-of-the-year novel, "Treasure Island," all seventh-graders get to participate in a real treasure hunt competition. The seventh-grade reading teachers hide several coins somewhere in Princeton on public property. Clues based on the novel are given to students each day until the treasure is found. Prizes donated by our school’s Pride Club, as well as local businesses, keep students motivated during the difficult end-of-the-year days.
Just like unexpected activities are motivating, so are unexpected rewards. For the winners of the Iditarod competition, I ordered real Iditarod collectibles from Alaska for prizes. Prize passes are favorite rewards, too. In English, I sometimes give out MP3 passes, so students can listen to their iPod (with head phones, of course) while creating a story in the Writing Lab. Another favorite prize pass allows the student to “Go to the Head of the Lunch Line.” Successful students during our Gettysburg Address unit get a trip to McDonald’s for a free lunch with guess who ... none other than, Abraham Lincoln. Yes, we really do take a life-size cardboard cutout of Lincoln with us to lunch!
Perhaps my most unusual spur-of-the-moment incentive occurred quite a few years ago, when my class right before lunch had several students whose stomachs were growling. I asked them if they were especially hungry, and of course, everyone said that they were. I told them that I knew Pizza Hut delivered, and if we hurried and finished our work, I’d use my cell phone to call for pizza. Little did I know what I had gotten myself into. When it comes to pizza, word travels fast, and before I knew it, my other literature classes had hungry stomachs too. Thus, pizza parties have become a tradition in my room.
Cell phones are great for facilitating the “unexpected” in the classroom. At the end of the school year, I always ask my students to take their writing portfolio home and show their parents. One morning I asked my class if they had done that, and most students nodded yes. So, I took out my cell phone, and we drew names to see whose parent got a phone call to verify that they had seen their child’s writing folder. Of course, prizes were awarded to the students who had done the assigned task.
In the classroom, just like in life, it’s the unexpected that makes the day interesting. I try to keep students motivated through the element of surprise, using a variety of classroom settings and unusual competitions with unique prizes. So when you see Abe Lincoln eating at McDonald’s, think nothing of it. It’s just another interesting day for Logan students.
Rachel Gross' answer
A few weeks ago, I had a large number of student absences due to sickness. I did not want to move ahead with my lessons, especially in math, and the only thing I could think of to do with my students was to have review days to practice our chapter on addition problems. I decided to ask another teacher for her opinion, and she gave me a great idea: Math Baseball. Math Baseball is a lot like regular baseball, but the two teams are answering addition problems in order to get to the bases. My students loved this game. They were so motivated to keep playing that they asked me the rest of the day if we could quit the activity that we were working on and go back to playing math baseball. The next day at school, they asked me all morning if we were going to play math baseball during math that afternoon. So to answer the question, one of the best ways I have found to keep the students motivated is to play fun academic games.
Some other games that my students play besides math baseball are Sparkle and Around the World. Sparkle is a spelling game that we usually play on Thursdays to prepare for Friday's spelling test. The students are so excited when I say that we are going to play sparkle because they love to see how well they know their spelling words, and they enjoy the competition between one another.
Aside from games, there are other things that I have my students do in the classroom to stay motivated. I am a firm believer in team work and cooperation because working together is a skill that students will need to use for the rest of their lives. To promote this concept, I have my students participate in a lot of activities and assignments that require them to work together. I keep them motivated to work together by having a marble jar. Every time I see the entire class working together to achieve a common goal, I will put a marble in the marble jar. When the students reach 50 marbles, I will reward them with a special treat, such as an afternoon movie, a class party, etc. Right now, my class is very close to 50 marbles. I am so excited for them to reach their goal!
The last thing I do to keep my students motivated is to make their required work seem like “fun.” One of the things that I ask parents to enforce at home is for every student to read 15 minutes each night. Although, I know that some students do not want to read anymore than what they have to do during our morning reading class. To motivate them, my students agreed as a class to participate in a Scholastic program called “Classrooms Care.” The students pick a team and are challenged to read 100 books. The program asks teachers to keep track of all of the books and then enter the number being read onto a Web site. When they reach their goal of 100 books, Scholastic will donate books to kids in need. I made a deal with my students that since they were doing something good for others, that I would reward them when they reach 100 books. As I write this, my students only need 11 more books to reach their goal! I am thrilled that they have read so many books, especially since we just started the program during the last week of September.
Another thing I do make my students work seem like fun is to incorporate art into their regular subjects. Since my students love to draw, I have been trying to find ways to incorporate drawing into any subject that I can. A few weeks ago, another teacher allowed me to copy some of her creative writing prompts. The prompts require the students to write and then draw a picture that accompanies their writing. One of the latest writing prompts that we completed was about the students' favorite foods. It was very interesting to read what they wrote. Their accompanying pictures were very creative!
This year I have truly been blessed. I have a great group of students who are excited to learn new things. Motivating them has been easier than I expected because they are so enthusiastic about learning. I am anxious to try more academic games and fun challenges with them during the rest of the year.
