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1. Mastery goals are associated with positive outcomes (like interest and effective strategy use)

2. Performance-avoidance goals are associated with negative outcomes (like poor achievement)

3. Performance-approach goals are associated with high achievement, emotion and strategies

(Anderman, 2020, p. 2)

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-knowing that feedback and exam performance can influence personal goals

-working with students to establish personal goals

-build relationships with students to understand culture, background, family, etc... because this can influence motivation to create goals and types of personal goals they create

-help students create social goals as well (differentiating guidance based on student)

(Linnenbrink-Garcia & Patall, 2015, p. 95)

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Helping Students Create Personal Academic Goals

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Helping Students Create Personal Academic Goals

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Encouraging students to set goals for themselves-the first phase of self-regulated learning-helps them develop a growth mindset.

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." -Tony Robbins

Many students may not necessarily have the tools to set academic goals and lack strategies to enact change and work toward those goals. Teachers can provide structure to help students set academic goals that are realistic and appropriate as well as achievable. It is important to note that goal setting is not just an activity for the beginning of the school year, but an ongoing process.

It personalizes the learning process based on their needs.

It creates intention and motivation that empowers students.

It establishes accountability to shift responsibility to students.

It provides a foundation for students to advocate for their needs.

Setting academic goals is the first phase of self-regulated learning. Irrespective of the model proposed by leading researchers such as Barry Zimmerman, self-regulated learning always begins with a goal-planning phase. Goal setting is an essential component for growth and development in our students for several reasons:

Goal setting can be done at any age-as long as it is age appropriate. Teaching the skill of goal setting coupled with reflecting and revising goals can give students the self-regulated learning tools for a growth mindset toward academic development.

With students as young as kindergarten, more scaffolding is needed. At the beginning of each day, students can select an emoji or picture that represents some action from a predetermined list of possible options. If teaching virtually, students can do this at the beginning of the session. If teaching in person, students can perhaps tape their goal to their desk or table area or perhaps a chart displayed in the classroom. The class can spend a few moments discussing goals and what actions they can do to achieve those goals. Teachers can invite other students to make suggestions for their peers. At the end of the day, allow students to rate themselves with stars and to think about how they could do things differently for the next day.

Upper Elementary and Middle School

For students who are slightly older and able to write, an excellent way to develop the habit of creating, planning, and reflecting on goals can be done through the use of short-term daily goals using sticky notes. At the beginning of the day, students take a few minutes to imagine some task, behavior, or skill they want to focus their intentions on for that specific day. Let the students keep the notes somewhere visible, so they can refer back to the goal throughout the day. Include class conversations with either a partner, a small group, or the whole class at the beginning and end of the day. Focus on the achievement of the goal, but suggest growth mindset strategies to focus on the wins as well as necessary changes for further improvement.

What do you think about the choices in goals for the week? (Were they realistic and appropriate? Were they the most needed for growth at this time?)

How did you progress toward your goals? (Did you have clear, actionable steps?)

What were some of the wins for the week?

What are some ways you can continue to improve on your development of these goals?

Once students have more advanced writing skills, it may be useful for them to keep a chart or table of their goals in a logbook. Students record in the morning, not only the goals but an action plan, and then reflect on strategies for improvement at the end of the day. At the end of each week, allow students time to reflect on their goals for the next week with structured prompts such as the following:

While a logbook is functional, it can be a more motivating experience to allow students to engage in creativity and personalization. Allow them to have fun with the process and create a goal journey map. They identify a goal, which is the end of the map. They also identify different benchmarks or steps to complete along the path or journey toward that goal. Students then have a visual representation of the progress of their journey.

High School

For high school students, l use a reflection sheet after each unit or chapter to create a regular habit of revisiting goals. Ask students the following questions:

What are some areas that you can improve upon? What are some areas that need more attention or focus? What could you do differently?

What specific and concrete actions can you do?

How can you advocate for yourself? In other words, how can your teacher, your peers, or others guide you toward your goal?

What were the wins for this chapter or unit? In other words, what things did you do well or what areas did you improve?

I always begin new units with an independent work day or two. During this time, the students are working on their reading skills, while I conference with their classmates independently.

Goal setting can help with classroom management and academic performance. It allows students to become more aware of expectations and concrete methods to achieve an outcome. It scaffolds the process, making it more manageable. With goal setting that is reflective and iterative, students establish a growth mindset as they engage in monitoring of their progress and reflecting on it as outlined by Zimmerman and Dale Schunk.

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Encouraging students to set goals for themselves-the first phase of self-regulated learning-helps them develop a growth mindset.

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According to the Social Cognitive Theory...

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According to the Social Cognitive Theory...

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-agency is a quality similar to independence or autonomy

“the concept of agency, that individuals are “self-organizing, proactive, self-regulating, and self-reflecting” (Bandura, 2006, p. 164), underlies modern research on motivation.” (p. 91).

(Bandura, 2012)

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1. intentionality (being intentional in setting goals and plan of action to get there)

2. forethought (anticipating results of actions to guide journey towards goals)

3. self-reactiveness (set standards, monitor progress, act in a way that provides satisfaction)

4. self-reflectiveness (evaluate efficacy, thoughts, actions, goals and make adjustments to help them work towards their goals)

(Bandura, 2012)

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BSD Education | Helping Educators Bring Digital Skills into Classrooms Globally

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As technology permeates all aspects of work and life, the skills needed to be successful are evolving. However, simply having in-depth technical knowledge isn't sufficient and just being equipped with soft, transferable life skills stops one from holistically applying them. More important is establishing a balance that will incorporate critical aspects from both ends of the spectrum under the broader umbrella of digital skills.

One desirable quality that employers are looking for in future candidates is the ability to take the initiative. In other words, this means having student agency. The World Economic Forum describes taking the initiative as a 21st Century Skill. I believe it is one with the ability to blend the hard and soft skills that students need to succeed.

Eric Sheninger defines student agency as:

Student agency is about empowering kids to own their learning (and school) through greater autonomy. It is driven by choice, voice, and advocacy.

Imagine the kind of professionals we would see if students were encouraged to own their learning, make decisions, take responsibility for their choices, or speak up when they want to learn more. Indeed, most of them will be agile, adaptable, curious, extremely resourceful, and entrepreneurial.

So the question is now, how do you develop agency in students? While there isn't a single correct method, I can share some examples that have come across through my work with schools globally.

Give Teachers Agency

Teachers are the torchbearers of transformation in a classroom and the school. Give them the opportunity, time, and resources to break away from the shackles of a highly structured curriculum and encourage them to experiment. When teachers are empowered, the students will reap the benefits.

Involve Students in the Decision Making Process

A school I worked with introduced "drop-in labs," Students could use the computer labs for their work without teacher supervision for two hours after school. To ensure the students are using their time and the school's resources appropriately and effectively, the students co-created the usage guidelines for themselves and shared them with the school. This strategy made the learning process authentic and developed ownership from the beginning. Ultimately students are the benefactors of this process but to make it work. They should buy into the outcome for increased student agency.

When Using Technology, Focus on Competencies and Skills Not Devices

When introducing a new device into the classroom, let the students "play" with it for some time before showing them how to use it. Devices come and go, but skills are evergreen. So instead of students becoming experts with a specific device, focus on their development of digital skills such as digital citizenship, content creation, data analysis, finding and authenticating information, storing and organizing information, and time management.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Where possible, introduce your students to activities or projects with open-ended questions. This idea ensures multiple endpoints, opportunities for discoveries, rapid learning, knowledge sharing, and experimentation. Another approach to this is giving students real-world problems and asking them to solve them with the tools and skills they have at their disposal.

Make Your Students Fall in Love With Learning

Learning is a nonlinear process in which no two people learn the same way or even within the same time frame. Please encourage your students to learn new skills and share their findings with their classmates. Improve student agency by showing appreciation for any new knowledge or skills a student brings to the classroom. Finally and most importantly, reward effort and experimentation and do not penalize failure.

Encourage Playing and Tinkering

Whether it's a digital device, watercolors in an art lesson, or lines of code - let your students play without supervision. Building time for unstructured play in every subject helps students understand the subject matter, materials, and resources. In some cases, it also helps them discover new things about themselves or the subject.

Be a Coach or Facilitator of Learning

As a teacher, if you change the nature of your classroom to be more student agency-driven, your role will also transform. You don't need to be the 'sage on the stage,' but you will become more like a coach encouraging your students to complete their project or nudge them in the right direction with actionable insights.

Rethink Assessments

Students cannot assess their transformed teaching experience with a traditional written exam or a quiz. Meaning that to measure student learning, you will need variety and distribute the assessments over the entire activity instead of giving it only at the end.

How do you try to develop student agency in your classroom? Have you tried any of the points suggested above? I'd love to learn and hear from you. You may reach me at mq@bsd.education.

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As technology permeates all aspects of work and life, the skills needed to be successful are evolving. However, simply having in-depth technical knowledge isn't sufficient and just being equipped with soft, transferable life skills stops one from holistically applying them.

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According to the Expectancy-Task Value Theory...

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According to the Expectancy-Task Value Theory...

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Expectancies:
individuals' beliefs about how will they will perform in a future task

Value:
1. utility value (task useful to other areas of life)
2. attainment value (personal importance)
3. intrinsic value (interesting, enjoyable, fun)
4. cost (negative aspects of task)

-both students' expectancies and value influences student performance, decisions, engagement, and achievement

(Linnenbrink-Garcia & Patall, 2015, p. 92)

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-students' expectations for their success AND how much value they view a task has can influence...

1. academic choices
2. achievement-related behaviors
3. learning and achievement

*all which are influenced by psychological, social, and cultural influences

(Linnenbrink-Garcia & Patall, 2015, p. 90)

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Whether we do so consciously or not, we all form expectations about certain things in our lives, from how much we think we'll enjoy a particular experience to the expectations we form about ourselves and others. Sometimes these expectations are based on prior experience, but more often than not, they're based on what we've been told or the subconscious beliefs we hold.

A growing body of research shows that expectations can influence everything from our perception of taste and enjoyment of experiences to our performance on specific tasks. And it's not just our own expectations that matter, but the expectations of those around us too.

This is particularly important in the context of learning, because how well we expect to perform, or how well teachers expect their students to perform, can influence the outcome. In general, high expectations improve performance, whereas low expectations seem to undermine achievement.

Expectations: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The first study to look at whether expectations can positively influence performance was carried out in the 1960s by Harvard psychologist Robert Rosenthal together with elementary school principal Lenore Jacobson.

In order to determine whether teacher expectations would influence student motivation and performance, they told teachers that certain students were expected to be high achievers based on their results from a specialised Harvard test. In reality, however, the students had been chosen at random.

Rosenthal and Jacobsen followed these students over the next couple of years to see how the teachers' expectations would affect them. Sure enough, they found that the students from whom teachers expected more were more likely to have made larger gains in their academic performance.

This psychological phenomenon is now known as the "Pygmalion effect" and was named after a Greek myth about a sculptor who falls in love with a statue he carved.

The opposite of this is the "Golem effect;" named after a similar Jewish myth about a clay creature that was given life by a Rabbi. The idea behind it is that when lower expectations are placed upon us, whether by ourselves or others, our performance goes down.

Both of these effects are forms of self-fulfilling prophecies, but how does it work?

Rosenthal explains that when we expect certain behaviours, we are more likely to act in ways that make the expected behaviour more likely to occur. So, for example, a teacher who has high expectations of his or her students will probably spend more time explaining things, provide more detailed feedback, and encourage students to work harder.

Aspirations vs. Expectations

Other research highlights the importance of recognising the difference between aspirations and expectations. Researchers from the University of Bristol point out that aspirations are more about the desire to do well, whereas expectations are about believing in the likelihood of success.

Their study demonstrated that although students with low aspirations and low expectations performed the worst at GCSEs, students with high aspirations but low expectations also tended to perform poorly compared to those with high expectations.

Similarly, a review on aspirations by the Education Endowment Foundation concluded that interventions aimed at raising aspirations had little to no positive impact on educational attainment. Why? Because having a desire to do well isn't the same as actually believing that you can do well.

Although less research has been done to determine how self-expectations can influence our performance, it stands to reason that when we have high expectations for ourselves, we will begin to act in ways that will make the expected outcome more likely.

For instance, if you expect to graduate with a degree with honours, you are more likely to put more effort into your studies and work hard to earn extra credits. On the other hand, if you have an exam coming up and you're already expecting to fail it, you may not put as effort into studying and preparing for it as you would have if you believed that you could achieve a good grade.

Setting High Expectations to Improve Performance

Setting high expectations for yourself and those around you can help those beliefs become reality. So what can we do to set higher expectations in order improve academic achievement, whether for ourselves, our students, or our employees? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Don't Settle for Less

When you truly believe that you can achieve something, failure simply isn't an option. Once this becomes your mindset, you'll begin to view the problems you encounter along the way as challenges to overcome or puzzles to solve, rather than insurmountable obstacles.

If you have reason to believe that a certain test or assignment will be especially difficult, put in the extra hours to thoroughly prepare yourself. When you do fall short, try to find out what went wrong and how you can do better instead of accepting defeat.

If you're teacher, emphasise to your students that although the test will be difficult, they can succeed with proper preparation. If they struggle with certain tasks, help them reflect on their processes and learn from their mistakes.

This is where developing a growth mindset comes in, because once we see hard work paying off, we begin to focus less on intelligence or natural ability and more on how much effort we're putting in.

Set Expectations Early On

Research shows that the positive effects of expectations are most strongly felt at the start of the school year or at the beginning of a new project. This is likely because we tend to start things with a more open mind and are more open to new possibilities.

So try to set positive expectations early on and identify some goals will help you turn those expectations into reality. Keep in mind that research also shows that in order for expectations to have the desired effect, they do need to be realistic. So set challenging goals and think positively, but also try to be realistic in your planning so you can actually reach the finish line.

Celebrate Victories

Finally, don't be afraid to celebrate your victories. If you studied hard and earned a good mark on an exam; don't downplay it by saying you got lucky or the material was easy. Be proud and acknowledge that you did well. When your students go above and beyond with an assignment, praise them for their effort and let them know that you're proud of how far they've come.

Like the French Philosopher Blaise Pascal said, "Treat a human being as they are, and they will remain the same. Treat them as what they can become, and they will become what they can become."

Marianne Stenger is a London-based freelance writer and journalist with extensive experience covering all things learning and development. She's particularly interested in the psychology of learning and how technology is changing the way we learn. Her articles have been featured by the likes of ABC Education, The Huffington Post, Lifehacker, and Psych Central. Follow her on Twitter @MarianneStenger.

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How Expectations Influence Performance | InformED

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Whether we do so consciously or not, we all form expectations about certain things in our lives, from how much we think we'll enjoy a particular experience to the expectations we form about ourselves and others. Sometimes these expectations are based on prior experience, but more often than not, they're based on what we've been...

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Attainment value is the importance students attach to the task as it relates to their conception of their identity and ideals or their competence in a given domain (Wigfield, 1994). For example, students who identify themselves as athletes set goals related to their sport. Students who pride themselves on being good students seek affirmation in the form of grades or test scores. These students are motivated to attain the goals because they are associated with the students' perceptions of who they are. Providing students with models who value academic achievement may be one way to increase attainment value. In addition, educators can personalize the school experience by helping students to integrate academic goals into their ideals. Educators can help students to become more personally invested in their educational experience by making it meaningful for them.
Jody, an eighth grader, has a high IQ and high achievement test scores. (She scored above the 99th percentile on both tests.) She spends many evenings writing beautiful but slightly macabre short stories. Jody looks up to writers such as Edgar Allen Poe. "He was so cool...Dark, and disturbed, and brilliant... Most writers are so dark.... Who wants to be normal? How boring!" In school, Jody hardly puts forth any effort in any of her classes. After all, doing well in school is so predictable... so conventional! "Most of my favorite writers did poorly in school. Everybody knows that real creative geniuses weren't brown-nosers. How could you help Jody to see the importance of school given her present value system? Strategies to Increase the Attainment Value of Tasks

1. Provide students with models who value academic achievement. Rimm (1995) suggested that same sex models who resemble the student in some way are the most effective models.

2. Personalize students' school experience by helping them to integrate academic goals into their ideals and values. Educators can help students to become more personally invested in their educational experience by making it meaningful for them.

3. Give students tasks that have meaning and integrity in their own right rather than tasks that are subparts of some larger entity. Students experience a sense of accomplishment when they do a complete job from beginning to end.

4. Allow students to engage in projects that have large scale ramifications or implications (i.e.- creating a new invention, helping someone in need).

5. Interact with the student on a more equal level and show unconditional positive regard for the student.

6. Use vocational interest testing and personality testing.

7. Allow students the opportunity to engage in "deep" discussions, when possible. Entertain multiple viewpoints on a topic within class discussions.

8. Show the student that you value him/her as a unique individual. Encourage the student to express his/her individuality in projects and assignments.

Next: Strategies to Increase the Utility Value of Your Class

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Strategies to Increase the Attainment Value of a Task | The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (1990-2013)

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Attainment value is the importance students attach to the task as it relates to their conception of their identity and ideals or their competence in a given domain (Wigfield, 1994). For example, students who identify themselves as athletes set goals related to their sport. Students who pride the ...

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"focused attention to a lesson, text passage, or learning activity that occurs because the student values or has positive affective responses to its content or processes"

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 5)

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-Cognitive Interest: relates to how much someone values content or processes

-Affective Interest: feelings, like excitement, satisfaction, or flow as a result of learning activities

-Individual/Personal Interest: one's disposition to engage in activities

-Situational Interest: when something occurs, one's attention in captured and they are motivated to focus on it and explore it

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 5)

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One way to do this is by incorporating questions into lectures or discussions. This allows students to ask questions and learn more about the material. Additionally, by providing opportunities for students to share their own ideas, they develop a personal connection to the material. By doing this, teachers are able to create a sense of community within the classroom and spark interest in the subject matter.
In order to get students engaged in the classroom, some teachers have found that it is helpful to create engaging activities.

In this article, I am going to discuss some strategies to help build your students' interests in learning.

Why Build Students' Interests in Learning in the Classroom?

The following are some key reasons why building students' interest in learning in your classroom is important:

1. To encourage a passion for learning:

One of the main reasons to build students' interests in learning is to encourage a passion for learning. When students are passionate about learning, they are more likely to stay engaged in their classes and retain more information. In addition, when students are passionate about learning, they are more likely to be motivated to succeed in school and achieve their goals.

2. To Promote Cognitive Efficiency:

Another reason to build students' interests in learning is to promote cognitive efficiency. When students are engaged and motivated , they are able to learn more quickly and retain more information. In addition, when students are cognitively efficient, they are able to problem-solve more effectively and make better decisions.

3. To Increase Knowledge Acquisition:

One of the main goals of education is to increase knowledge acquisition. When students are interested in learning, they are more likely to be motivated to learn new information and retain it better. In addition, when students are interested in learning, they tend to be less resistant to new information and more open-minded about new concepts.

4. To Encourage Creativity:

One of the benefits of being interested in learning is that it encourages creativity. When students are creative, they are able to come up with new ideas and solve problems in a more innovative way. In addition, when students are creative, they are more likely to be engaged in their education and enjoy learning.

How to Build Students' Interests to Learn in Your Classroom?

Below are some strategies that I have found useful in building students' interests in learning:

1. Get students excited about the class by sharing your own excitement about the material.

When you make your students excited about classroom activities and lessons, they will develop an interest in learning. This interest will help them retain more information and be more engaged in the class. For example, you can share with your students your favorite lessons and learning experiences. You can also share stories about your own childhood and how you learned to be creative.

2. Encourage students to ask questions.

If you want your students to be engaged in the class, you need to make sure that they are asking questions. Questions are a sign of interest and intelligence, and they make learning more fun for everyone involved.

Therefore, have an open-door policy. Allow students to ask questions and share their ideas. This will help build a sense of community with your students, which will allow them to feel more comfortable asking questions, listening to others, and working collaboratively.

3. Make class activities fun and interesting.

When you make class activities fun and interesting, your students will be more likely to participate and learn. This engagement will help them retain more information and be more motivated to stay engaged in the classroom.

When students enjoy the class, they are more likely to want to learn in the classroom. You can make the class fun by playing games, making jokes, and having fun with your students. For example, you can play a game where you create a song that describes the lesson for that day.

4. Make learning relevant to their everyday lives.

When you make learning relevant to the students' everyday lives, they will be more likely to find it interesting and engaging. This will help them retain information and be motivated to learn more about the material being taught in class.

For example, you can ask students to make a list of things they would like to learn. Then, you can use the list in class to help them retain information from their lessons.

5. Make sure that the materials you use are interesting and engaging.

Using materials that are both interesting and engaging will help your students become interested in learning. This interest will discourage them from being resistant to new information and make them more open-minded about new concepts.

For example, you can use a variety of materials to teach students about the different ways to use math. For example, you can have your students complete different types of problem sets. You can also have them make a video that tells a story using math.

6. Give students opportunities to try out new material before class.

When students have the opportunity to try out new material before class, they will be more likely to be engaged in the class and learn everything that is taught. In addition, when students are engaged in their education, they are more likely to achieve success in their classes.

For example, if you have a student who is struggling with fractions, you can give the student more opportunities to practice solving the problems by having them do warm-ups before class and/or after class.

7. Try to involve students in class discussion by asking questions that allow them to share their thoughts and experiences.

In order to encourage students to participate in class discussions, it is important to try to involve them in the discussion from the beginning. One way to do this is to ask questions that allow them to share their thoughts and experiences.

For example, you could ask students what topics they are interested in and why. This will give you a better sense of what they are interested in and how to best foster a conversation around those topics.

Also, asking open-ended questions allows students more freedom to share their thoughts without feeling pressured or judged. By doing this, you will help build interest in the classroom and encourage more student participation.

8. Encourage students to take small steps in learning new material by providing practice and feedback.

Interest in learning can be built by providing practice and feedback to students on a regular basis. One way to do this is to have students work on small projects that they can bring into class. This way, they are constantly getting feedback and practice, which will help them learn the material better.

Additionally, it is important to keep the class interesting by providing new material each week. This will keep the students engaged and interested in learning.

9. Make sure the classroom environment is conducive to learning by setting a positive example yourself.

When it comes to being a good teacher, it is important to set the tone for your classroom from the very beginning. One way to do this is by exhibiting strong personal qualities yourself. For example, being patient and encouraging your students when they struggle.

It is also important to be organized and keep everything moving along smoothly. This will help keep your students interested in learning and motivated. Furthermore, make sure that the classroom environment is conducive to learning by setting a positive example yourself. This means creating an inviting space where students can ask questions and feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of ridicule or judgment.

By doing all of these things, you are sure to create an environment in which your students can learn effectively and have fun doing so!

10. Experiment.

Try different methods to keep your class interested. Play games, have competitions, and plan a field trip. The key is to try new things and have fun with them. This will help to keep your students engaged and motivated.

Don't be afraid to take risks. It can be scary to try something new, but don't be afraid to take risks. The only way that you will grow as a teacher is by learning new things and trying them out.

11. Create a classroom culture where students feel comfortable.

Students will be more likely to develop their interests in learning if they feel comfortable in class. You can do this by creating a safe and friendly classroom environment . Ask your students to introduce themselves, and if they get along well with one another, encourage them to work together. You can also use this time to teach the basics of respect and manners to your students.

12. Stimulate the Senses.

Use visuals, audio, and movement to keep students engaged. If you want students to be engaged, you need to keep them interested. Try out different techniques and see what works best for your class. For example, you can use a game or give students some time to draw and make art.

13. Make learning relevant by using technology.

Games, and other resources to make learning fun and relevant for your students. Try out different tools that are available online, like online games. For example, you can use an online game like "Kahoot" to play games. You can create a learning center on your website or blog, where students can access the games and resources you have for them.

14. Use group work to facilitate students' interests in learning.

Group work can be useful in facilitating learning. For example, you can give students a task to complete, and then you divide the class into small groups. By working together, students can be motivated to remain focused on the task. As a teacher, you can also guide groups to work well as a team and help them settle on the best solutions.

15. Praise.

You can't just tell your students how well they are doing. Instead, let them know what you appreciate about their work. This will encourage them to want to do better. Praise is an important way for you to help your students feel good about their learning and make sure that they are actively working toward their goals.

16. Give Positive Feedback.

Use a variety of methods for giving feedback to help students improve. For example, you can give students a grade on their feedback. You can also let them know what they did right and wrong and make suggestions on how to improve.

17. Build relationships.

Build strong relationships with your students by giving them special attention and making them feel important. This will encourage them to do their best for you and for themselves. With that, they will develop an interest in learning in the classroom.

18. Offer support.

Students need the support of both their peers and adults in the classroom to improve their behavior and learning. Support from both can help students feel positive about school. In addition, this will boost their self-esteem. With that, they develop an interest in their learning.

19. Be positive.

Don't let your students see you stressed out or frustrated. If you are, they will feel it in their learning and performance. When you are positive about teaching and everything in the classroom, it can stimulate similar attitudes in your students. This can lead them to develop an interest in their learning.

For example, if you are in a bad mood, your students will pick up on it and think that they shouldn't be there. If you try to keep your classroom upbeat, everyone will benefit.

20. Give students choices in what they learn in your class.

When you give students choices, they will be more likely to learn and retain information. This will further help them build their interests in learning. They will also learn to enjoy learning instead of just surviving.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many ways to build excitement in the classroom. Creativity, collaboration, and communication create an engaging and motivating learning environment. By using a variety of methods, teachers can keep students interested and engaged in their lessons.

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How Do You Build Students' Interest in Learning in the Classroom? - Classroom Management Expert

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In order to get students engaged in the classroom, some teachers have found that it is helpful to create engaging activities. One way to do this is by incorporating questions into lectures or discussions. This allows students to ask questions and learn more about the material.

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Learner Interest Matters: Strategies for Empowering Student Choice

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When students care about an assignment, they’re willing to take greater risks and are more likely to excel in their product.

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-Self-regulated learning involves students' ability to generate thoughts, affects, and behaviors that are oriented towards attaining specific goals

-works hand-in-hand with motivation

(Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020, p. 5)

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1. implementing strategies
2. monitoring progress
3. adapting approaches
4. reflecting on progress
5. keeping motivation up

*this can increase self-efficacy as well, further sustaining self-regulation

(Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020, p. 5)

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

To succeed in school, students need to be able to focus, control their emotions, and adjust to change.

©Shutterstock/Tyler Olson

Many students enter our classrooms with psychological and learning issues, ADHD, or even adverse childhood experiences and trauma that affect their executive functioning and ability to self-regulate. They do not have the tools they need to focus and pay attention, keep their emotions in check, adjust to change, or handle the frustration that is sometimes a part of interacting with others or learning something new.

This can make it very challenging to complete required tasks in the classroom. As a middle school special education teacher, I quickly determined that in order to make learning accessible to these students, I had to first work on developing their self-regulation skills.

As a new teacher, you may also struggle with teaching effective self-regulation to students. These are some strategies that worked for me.

A positive environment: The classroom should feel like a safe space where strengths are emphasized. When a problem behavior occurs, try not to take it personally or immediately correct the child in front of others. Instead, act as an observer with the goal of figuring out why the behavior is occurring. Then address the behavior once the child has cooled down.

Clear expectations: Schedules, procedures, and an established routine help students understand what to expect and create an environment that feels structured and safe.

Instruction on study skills: As teachers, we often focus on the curriculum, but in order to access content students need skills like the ability to organize their materials, manage their time, stay on task, read with comprehension, and retain and practice what is learned for later use on graded activities. Teaching study strategies to the whole class will help all students to become more independent learners.

Provide Structure and Tools for Learning

Teachers can set up their classrooms to provide the structure and learning tools necessary to help model and teach self-regulation.

Scaffold Instruction

When students seem off task or even shut down and refuse to complete work, sometimes it's because the work is too difficult for them and they're frustrated. I found that students often use this behavior because it has worked for them in the past by allowing them to escape the undesirable task and avoid the embarrassment of looking "dumb." Instead of recognizing that they're frustrated with the work, the student will often express frustration with the teacher for making them complete the assignment.

Scaffolding is breaking learning into chunks and then providing a strategy or a structure to make it easier for students to be able to accomplish each chunk of learning. In order to effectively scaffold instruction, you need to know what a child is capable of doing on their own. This instructional starting point, called the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD), is the difference between what a learner can do independently and what they're able to do with informed assistance.

Starting your instruction at this point allows the student to move more easily to the next logical step developmentally. If a child is struggling, you can usually help them get started by taking a break, determining what they do understand, and then modifying the assignment so that it's within their ZPD.

Discuss and Reflect

Kids need objective, nonjudgmental feedback in order to improve their behavior. When a problem arises, find a calm time to discuss what went wrong, why, and how it can be handled differently next time. This gives usable directions to students who do not already have a structure and the vocabulary needed to regulate their emotions.

If a student is familiar with this process, they may also be able to decompress by reflecting on their own, through a written activity, before talking with the teacher. Reflecting helps students to become more mindful: Instead of just reacting to emotions, they can learn to become the manager of their emotions by recognizing what they are feeling before it becomes an action.

Model and Practice Appropriate Behavior

Students often learn best when you show them how to do something through direct instruction. The same is true with behavior. If students are not displaying productive behavior, the teacher can show them what the effective behavior would look like through modeling activities like "think alouds" or role-playing.

Allow time for children to practice new behaviors they're learning in a low-stakes way that breaks the desirable behavior into achievable steps. As a classroom teacher, I practiced improving transitions with a group by providing a visual and auditory cue (flicking the lights and clapping my hands). Students knew to stop what they were doing and return to their seat. At first, I gave them several minutes to do this and rewarded students who were in their seats, even if they were a bit loud getting there. Gradually, I decreased the time given and only gave rewards to students who were sitting quietly and listening for directions with their materials out, ready to work.

I found that thinking about behavior objectively, as a skill to be taught rather than simply as good or bad, was immensely helpful in my ability to guide children in learning to control their behavior. Some children enter school without the self-regulation skills necessary for school success. We must meet these children where they are and teach them the skills they need to be successful in the classroom.

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To succeed in school, students need to be able to focus, control their emotions, and adjust to change.

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According to the Social Cognitive Theory...

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According to the Social Cognitive Theory...

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-self-efficacy is one's beliefs in their abilities to complete a task/reach a goal

-can be impacted by environmental factors (social comparison and teacher feedback) AND their own achievement

(Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020, p. 3)

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1. exposing students to positive social models
2. model and guide students to set proximal and specific goals
3. give positive social comparative feedback
4. model and guide students to self-monitor their progress
5. talk out loud when learning
6. promote skills in self-evaluation

(Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020, p. 4)

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Self-Efficacy Toolkit - Transforming Education

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Self-Efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to succeed in achieving an outcome or reaching a goal.
This belief, specific to a task or an area of knowledge or performance, shapes the behaviors and strategies that help one pursue their goal. High self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to ex…

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This summary was written and compiled by Karin Kirk, SERC, and contains an overview of motivation research and pertinent references.

Self efficacy is commonly defined as the belief in one's capabilities to achieve a goal or an outcome. Students with a strong sense of efficacy are more likely to challenge themselves with difficult tasks and be intrinsically motivated. These students will put forth a high degree of effort in order to meet their commitments, and attribute failure to things which are in their control, rather than blaming external factors. Self-efficacious students also recover quickly from setbacks, and ultimately are likely to achieve their personal goals. Students with low self-efficacy, on the other hand, believe they cannot be successful and thus are less likely to make a concerted, extended effort and may consider challenging tasks as threats that are to be avoided. Thus, students with poor self-efficacy have low aspirations which may result in disappointing academic performances becoming part of a self-fulfilling feedback cycle. ( Bandura ) [Margolis and McCabe, 2006]

How can students gain self-efficacy?

There are four sources of self-efficacy. Teachers can use strategies to build self-efficacy in various ways.

Mastery experiences - Students' successful experiences boost self-efficacy, while failures erode it. This is the most robust source of self-efficacy.
Vicarious experience - Observing a peer succeed at a task can strengthen beliefs in one's own abilities.
Verbal persuasion - Teachers can boost self-efficacy with credible communication and feedback to guide the student through the task or motivate them to make their best effort.
Emotional state -A positive mood can boost one's beliefs in self-efficacy, while anxiety can undermine it. A certain level of emotional stimulation can create an energizing feeling that can contribute to strong performances. Teachers can help by reducing stressful situations and lowering anxiety surrounding events like exams or presentations.
[Margolis and McCabe, 2006] and ( Bandura )

Pedagogic strategies that foster self-efficacy

It is particularly exciting to note that teaching strategies used in the classroom can and do make a difference to students' self-efficacy. (Fencl and Scheel, 2005)

Research shows that the type of learning environment and teaching method can improve self efficacy in the classroom ( Bandura ). A similar result was reported by Fencl and Scheel . They describe a required, nonmajors' physics course where the effects of different teaching methods on the classroom climate and self-efficacy were measured. The students' response indicated that a question and answer format, inquiry-based lab activities and conceptual (rather than quantitative) problems had a significant effect on creating a positive climate in the classroom. In addition to those pedagogies, collaborative learning and the use of electronic applications showed a positive correlation with increased self-efficacy in their student sample. Fencl and Scheel point out that the teaching methods that showed a measurable positive effect share the common feature of engaging students in a comfortable or creative manner. Moreover, pedagogies such as collaborative learning and inquiry-based activities have also been shown to have a strong correlation with how well students learn physics [Fencl and Scheel, 2005] .

Bandura also concludes that cooperative learning strategies have the dual outcome of improving both self-efficacy and academic achievement. "Cooperative learning structures, in which students work together and help one another also tend to promote more positive self-evaluations of capability and higher academic attainments than do individualistic or competitive ones." ( Bandura )
Other pedagogies for improving self-efficacy include:

Establish specific, short-term goals that will challenge the students, yet are still viewed as attainable. [Schunk and Pajares, 2002]

Help students lay out a specific learning strategy and have them verbalize their plan. As students proceed through the task, ask students to note their progress and verbalize the next steps. [Schunk and Pajares, 2002]

Compare student performance to the goals set for that student, rather than comparing one student against another or comparing one student to the rest of the class(Bandura ).

Teaching Practices to Avoid

In his 1994 textbook chapter, Albert Bandura notes that certain well-worn pedagogical practices may have the unintended effect of diminishing the self-efficacy of students who do not reside at the top of the class academically. These include:

Generalized, "lock-step" instruction that is inflexible and does not allow for student input. A formulaic type of instructional setting makes it harder for students to ask questions or become involved in the process. The result may be that if a student becomes confused or discouraged, they are likely to remain so.

Statements or teaching practices that compare students' performance against each other. This may raise the self-efficacy of the top students, but is likely to lower the self-efficacy of the rest of the class. (Bandura )

Tips to improve self-efficacy for struggling students

(from Margolis and McCabe, 2006 )

Use moderately- difficult tasks
If the task is too easy will be boring or embarrassing and may communicate the feeling that the teacher doubts their abilities; a too-difficult task will re-enforce low self-efficacy. The target for difficulty is slightly above the students' current ability level.

Use peer models
Students can learn by watching a peer succeed at a task. Peers may be drawn from groups as defined by gender, ethnicity, social circles, interests, achievement level, clothing, or age.

Teach specific learning strategies
Give students a concrete plan of attack for working on an assignment, rather than simply turning them loose. This may apply to overall study skills, such as preparing for an exam, or to a specific assignment or project.

Capitalize on students' interests
Tie the course material or concepts to student interests such as sports, pop culture, movies or technology.

Allow students to make their own choices
Set up some areas of the course that allow students to make their own decisions, such as with flexible grading, assignment options or self-determined due dates.

Encourage students to try
Give them consistent, credible and specific encouragement, such as, "You can do this. We've set up an outline for how to write a lab report and a schedule for what to do each week - now follow the plan and you will be successful."

Give frequent, focused feedback
Giving praise and encouragement is very important, however it must be credible. Use praise when earned and avoid hyperbole. When giving feedback on student performance, compare to past performances by the same student, don't make comparisons between students.

Encourage accurate attributions
Help students understand that they don't fail because they're dumb, they fail because they didn't follow instructions, they didn't spend enough time on the task, or they didn't follow through on the learning strategy.

Teachers need high self-efficacy too

Teachers with a high sense of efficacy about their teaching capabilities may have an easier time motivating their students and enhancing their cognitive development. These teachers may also be able to rebound from setbacks and more willing to experiment with new ideas or techniques. Low efficacious teachers may rely more on a controlling teaching style and may be more critical of students. [Woolfolk Hoy, 2003] and ( Bandura )

"Schools in which staff members collectively judge themselves capable of promoting academic success imbue their schools with a positive atmosphere for development that promotes academic attainments regardless of whether they serve predominantly advantaged or disadvantaged students."( Bandura )

Further reading

Web sites

by Albert Bandura, Stanford University

This is a comprehensive summary of the topic written by one of its pioneers. The site provides a definition of self-efficacy, characteristics of efficacious people, and a description of how self-efficacy can be developed or undermined. The author describes self-efficacy in social, family and school settings and in various stages of life.

by Frank Pajares, Emory University

This site contains an extensive historical overview about self-efficacy and its place in education. Topics include the origins of the theory, current research and educational applications. One of the author's conclusions is that the educational system would benefit from additional focus on self-efficacy in students.

Information on Self-Efficacy: A Community of Scholars
This is a clearinghouse of information about self-efficacy, hosted by the Division of Educational Studies at Emory University.

Journal Articles

Improving Self-Efficacy and Motivation: What to Do, What to Say
by Howard Margolis and Patrick P McCabe
citation and bibliographic information
This article suggests practical solutions to improve the motivation of struggling learners. Specifically, the authors present strategies such as using peers as role models, teaching specific learning strategies, presenting the students with options and choices, communicating recent success, and more. These tactics can strengthen struggling learners' beliefs in their academic abilities and increase their willingness to engage in academic tasks.

Engaging Students: An Examination of the Effects of Teaching Strategies on Self-Efficacy and Course Climate in a Nonmajors Physics Course
by Heidi Fencl and Karen Scheel
citation and bibliographic information
Self-efficacy is a key predictor of achievement and retention in most academic areas, including the sciences. In this study, the effects of teaching strategies on self-efficacy and course climate were examined. The teaching methods that made significant contributions to self efficacy were question and answer, collaborative learning, conceptual problems, electronic applications and inquiry lab activities.

The Development of Academic Self-Efficacy
by Dale Schunk and Pajares, Frank Pajares
This textbook chapter provides a synthesis of educational psychology research as it relates to students' beliefs in their own abilities. The authors describe self-efficacy and its relation to other motivation constructs and explain the role of various sources of and influences on self-efficacy. The effects of various pedagogical practices are discussed, including a description of specific methods that improve self-efficacy. The role of gender and ethnicity on self-efficacy are also discussed.

Self-Efficacy in College Teaching
by Anita Woolfolk Hoy, The Ohio State University
This essay examines the topic of self-efficacy in the context of teachers' self-efficacy and how that translates into their performance. The author asserts that highly efficacious teachers tend to be more open to new ideas, more willing to experiment with new methods to better meet the needs of their students, and more committed to teaching. They persist when things do not go smoothly and are more resilient in the face of setbacks. And they tend to be less critical of students who make errors and to work longer with a student who is struggling.

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teach the earth enhancing your teaching affective domain

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Self efficacy is commonly defined as the belief in one's capabilities to achieve a goal or an outcome. Students with a strong sense of efficacy are more likely to challenge themselves with difficult tasks and ...

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According to the Social Cognitive Theory...

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According to the Social Cognitive Theory...

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-social environments can heavily influence motivation, learning, and self-regulation
-motivation and social behaviors factor heavily into human behavior

Reciprocal Interactions
-involve three key factors: behavioral, environmental, and personal
-each can influence the other

Examples:
Behavioral: choice of activities, effort, persistence, achievement, environmental regulation

Environmental: Social Models, Instruction, Feedback, Standards, Rewards, Opportunities for Self-Evaluation

Personal: Goals of Self Evaluations of Progress, Self-Efficacy, Social Comparisons, Values, Outcome Expectations, Attributions

(Bandura, 2012)
(Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020, pp. 1-2)

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-there are several negative factors of state/national requirements that can undermine teachers' efforts to promote motivation

1. grading
2. performance goals
3. high-stakes testing

-class size, mandated curricula, and lack of staff can affect motivation and performance

(Ryan & Deci, 2020, p. 5)

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1. Grading
-feedback can have meaning (functional significance) or provide input (informational significance)...but we don't want it to create pressure for students (controlling significance)

*emphasize efficacy-related feedback and authentic feedback focused on mastery not performance

2. Performance Standards
-performance goals usually feel controlling and create pressure. whereas mastery goals feel informational

*emphasize mastery goals!
*model how to create mastery goals and how to work towards mastery goals
*make sure feedback reflects mastery goals

3.  High-Stakes Tests
-these focus on the outcomes, not the process of learning
-leads to excessive stress, lack of motivation and autonomy, "teaching to the test"

*when possible, focus on process and don't emphasize outcomes
*celebrate the learning process, mistakes and all!

(Ryan & Deci, 2020)

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-one's belief that they can control their future and destiny
-can be fostered once students' basic needs are met
-is encouraged through the growth of autonomy
-teachers can encourage student autonomy in the classroom
-a great way to do this is to help students feel a sense of choice

(Ryan & Deci, 2020)

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Teachers begin supporting autonomy/sense of choice by...

1. trying to understand student perspectives
2.  providing opportunities for students to take ownership of their work
3. providing meaningful choices and tasks that engage their interests

*greater "sense of choice" -> enhanced intrinsic motivation

(Ryan & Deci, 2020, p. 3)

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Differentiated Instruction

Elementary students have a better chance of showing what they've learned when they have a choice about how to show it.

©Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images

Most classrooms are filled with students of varying academic abilities. Even within a gifted and talented classroom like mine, the ability levels can range drastically. As teachers strive to meet each student's individual needs, differentiation is key because it's about giving more opportunities for students to grow to their highest potential, and it is beneficial for all students.

In the digital era, we can provide all of our students with technological ways to enhance their learning, no matter their academic label. Every student is different and needs to be offered a variety of ways to show what they've learned in a way that reflects their individuality.

One way to differentiate within the curriculum is to provide students with choices for completing an assignment. Students learn in various ways, and we can let them show their learning in various ways. When I give my students a choice on how they'll complete a project, they have to meet certain criteria, but I allow them to find an outlet they find most enjoyable, such as creating a Google Slides presentation, a trifold board, or a pamphlet. Giving students a choice allows them to take ownership of their learning as well as create a product that feels authentic to them. They work on something that they're good at creating, or try something they want to get better at.

An excellent way to ensure differentiation is to have each student create an e-portfolio-a technology-based assessment tool that collects a student's authentic work samples, providing a quick way for a teacher to assess growth and skills. In a sense, the e-portfolio is a window into a student's learning, one that allows the student to choose what to include.

An e-portfolio can follow the student across grades, too. And once the time is spent creating one, the process of adding content becomes easier and quicker as the student adds to it in later grades. Since e-portfolios offer a way for students to show authentic learning, they allow students to exhibit their individual growth through their academic experiences.

Differentiating by Giving Choices

The best way to differentiate instruction is to give students a choice in how they show their learning. All students learn in their own way, and they need to be able to show their individual skills and interests. As long as they're able to demonstrate a certain skill, assessment should be more about the process than the product.

Giving choices may seem like more work for the teacher, and it can be, but it's also worthwhile because it encourages more students to take more ownership of their learning.

Adding a technology component to an assignment can drastically increase student engagement, especially if they haven't been given such options in the past. Using a novel app, such as Flipgrid, adds an element of fun while also giving students practice with tech skills.

But technology is not the only way to provide choice-try using choice boards, which provide students with many options for presenting content. Students may present the water cycle stages in a song, for example, or create a comic that lays out those stages. Such choices can be fun for the students, and can show teachers hidden talents their students possess that they wouldn't see otherwise.

Differentiating With Portfolios

Few applications offer the opportunity for students to reflect on their learning, but pushing students to do that is important in getting them to think about how they learn best and take an active role in their own learning. Quick assessment applications such as Flipgrid and Kahoot allow for student reflection, but the e-portfolio-which showcases an individual student's personality-is even better.

With e-portfolios, students reflect on their learning while putting their own mark on their assignments. Students are able to showcase their learning and the process they used to create their final product while individualizing it with their likes and interests.

A teacher may require some items to be present-such as name, class section, pictures of hobbies, or content-related materials-but seeing the ways that students make the e-portfolio their own is what a teacher wants. The e-portfolio is a tool that students can use to express their thinking in a way that is unique to them.

Teachers can assess e-portfolios to measure growth and skills instead of just knowledge of course content. Students are able to take ownership of what they have learned, choose how they present the content, and take control of their learning.

Differentiating allows students to have their voice heard, which can lead them to become self-motivated learners. And that in turn can help increase both their learning growth and their self-awareness of that growth.

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Elementary students have a better chance of showing what they're learning when they have a choice about how to show it.

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-people don't complete a task for its sake, but for their own sake
-the task provides students with satisfaction and enjoyment

"interesting activities provide learners with forms of input or opportunities for response that they fi nd rewarding and want to pursue"

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 99)

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Ways Teachers Can Promote Intrinsic Motivation

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Ways Teachers Can Promote Intrinsic Motivation

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1. Technology!
-has been proven to increase interest and engagement in learning

2. Choice in Creativity
-students enjoy seeing the result of their hard work, creating something new or rare

3. Goals and Feedback
-help students set clear goals to work towards!
-provide personalized, immediate feedback

4. Enhance Interest Value
-hands-on activities
-stimulating tasks

5. Stimulate Curiosity
-present open tasks
-encourage discussion
-foster personal connections to content

6. Include Imaginative/Make-Believe Components
-game play
-personalize tasks
-simulations
-role-play

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 112)

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Ideas for Stimulating Creativity & Interest, Fostering Intrinsic Motivation 

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Ideas for Stimulating Creativity & Interest, Fostering Intrinsic Motivation 

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What is the second teacher doing that the first one isn't? He or she is using creativity in that classroom. Creativity makes a huge difference. Creativity is vital for a classroom to be successful. There is a common misconception that the word "creative" has to do mostly with the arts. But being artistic is only a small part of creativity. While any classroom environment would benefit from a teacher blessed with the gift of artistic talent, creativity is many other things.

Creativity is innovation.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If something isn't working, then it's broken and needs to be fixed. Come up with something else that will work for your students.

Creativity is thinking outside the box.
Everything doesn't always have to be black and white. Sometimes the oddball activities are the ones that work.

Creativity is improvisation.
Things don't always turn out the way you planned. When I've realized that a lesson wasn't working midway through, I literally tossed it out and started over. I tried a different angle (in this case, incorporating a movie that my students liked), and it worked.

Creativity is professional growth.
We don't always have all of the answers. If you can't figure out what to do, use your coworkers as resources. You might find some really great ideas that make sense for your students. Also, look at research and see what has worked for other teachers around the world. Use resources like KS2, hubbardscupboard.org, and starfall.com for some fun engaging activities.

Creativity is being a risk taker or mold breaker.
I have had many crazy ideas for things to try in the classroom. Some have worked and some haven't, but I found that trying was better than being stuck in the same pattern that isn't working.

Creativity is passion.
Be passionate about what you are doing. You are there to inspire students to become lifelong learners. If you want them to love learning, you have to love what you are teaching.

Suggested Activities: The Game of Learning

For the first six activities, seat your students in a circle and introduce a ball or something else they can pass easily between them.

1. "I know a word"
You can begin this skills game by saying, "I know a word that starts with the same sound you hear at the beginning of butterfly." Students will raise their hands, and you choose one to tell you a word the starts with "B." Once they tell you the word, toss them the ball. They choose someone else to tell them another word that begins with that letter, passing the ball to the student who gets it right. As the game continues, change the letter every so often. Play until everyone has had a turn. You can use this game for beginning sounds, ending sounds, middle sounds etc.

2. Rhyme time
Say, "I need a word that rhymes with cat." Pass the ball to someone once they give you a correct rhyming word. Keep changing the starting word and continue the game until all kids have gone.

3. Practice counting
You can have your class practice counting by twos, fives and tens. Pass the ball clockwise or counterclockwise, with the student who receives it saying the number that comes next. For example, you say, "We are going to count by fives. Five!" The person next to you says "ten," the next one says "fifteen," and so on.

4. Spelling review
For older kids, you can pass the ball and go through your spelling words one letter at a time. For example, you say, "We're going to spell the word t heir, as in 'This is their ball.'" The first person says "T," the second person says "H," the third person says "E," and so on. If one says the wrong letter, the next person says correct letter and fixes the mistake.

5. "I need a synonym"
This is a great vocabulary building exercise. You can use the ball or a pair of flyswatters, depending on the age of your students. You say, "I need a synonym for mad." Choose someone to give you another word that means the same thing, such as angry, furious and enraged. For older kids, you can put a list of synonyms on the board and divide the class into two teams. Have one person from each team come up and compete. Whoever slaps the board with the flyswatter and says the correct synonym wins a point for their team. In the end all of your students win a better vocabulary.

6. Reinforce other skills
What other subjects are you teaching? You could adapt these games to fit pretty much anything. "I need a name of an explorer." "I need you to name one of the phases of matter." "I need to know one of the reasons for the Civil War." Be creative!

7. Roll dice to have your students answer story questions.
"What is the plot of the story?" you might ask them. "What is the setting?" You can introduce more reflective questions such as, "Why did this character do what he or she did?" and "What was the author's purpose?" You can write these questions on cards or purchase them from reallygoodstuff.com.

8. Sight Word Slap Game
Write your sight words on the board. Separate your class into two random teams. Let one person from each team step forward and hold a fly swatter. Call out one of the sight words. The first one to slap the correct sight word gets a point for their team. Continue until everyone has gone. This is great for helping sight word recognition.

Suggested Activities: The Artsy Side of Creative

9. Use different voices or accents when reading stories to the class.

10. Dress in costumes of storybook characters to leave a lasting impression, or let students dress up as characters to retell stories.

11. Turn your room into the environment of what you are learning about. When the class is learning about fairy tales, turn your classroom into a castle. When you're learning about animals, turn your classroom into a jungle.

12. Create class songs about topics they need to know, or use the music of singers like Hap Palmer and Jack Hartman. You might also borrow songs and games from coworkers. Songs are catchy, and children learn quickly from them.

Creative Science

13. When teaching about the properties of friction, use KS2 for interactive projects you can do in small groups or as a class using a smart board. You might ask your students slide down the hallway first in their socks, then barefoot, and have them journal about the different amounts of friction.

14. When teaching phases of matter, drop some food coloring into beakers of cold and warm water and note the difference. Then pour the contents of one beaker in a bag and put it in the freezer. The next day, compare the liquid bag with the solid chunk of ice and note differences.

15. Use the ice from the above activity and talk about gravity. Stand on a chair and discuss what will happen if you drop the ice, and if it matters which way you drop it. Let your students predict the possible outcomes.

Incorporate Your Students' Favorite Things

16. Survey your students at the beginning of the year. Get to know them and what they like. Then make a point of using their names, favorite foods, games, books, etc. in word problems, writing exercises, shared reading and many other activities. People do better and learn more when working with things they like. As adults we know that we don't want to do something if it's not fun. The same goes for kids.

Creative time savers

17. Have your students rely on each other as resources. For each table, pick a team leader to try answering his or her classmates' questions before they come to you for help.

18. Pair your higher achievers with lower achievers to study sight words, letters or other skills.

19. Put them into literature circles to discuss books.

20. Have them read one another's writing to check for completion or suggest ideas before they come see you.

21. Use the Leap Frog Reader system. You can plug it into the computer to get student scores on activities, which will provide guidelines for what you need to work on. This is a great way to collect data!

22. Have a "math problem of the day" journal to review skills in which your students scored low on assessments. Put the problem on the board and have them copy it into their journals at the beginning of the day. You can take a minute or two after they have completed it to review the problem with the class. Check notebooks later for understanding.

Live Like a Turtle

For those of you trying to figure out how you'll find the time to integrate all this into an already busy teaching day, here's some food for thought. It will take longer to teach a lesson three times than it will to teach it once using a little creativity. Make time for creativity. Most of the above creative activities take only a few minutes to do. They also require very little prep time and cost very little money, if any. So go ahead -- be a risk taker and try at least one of these ideas this week. I'm sure you won't regret it.

As I said above, everyone has bad days, but overall my classroom is a happy place to be. It's like this because I use creativity to make learning fun. I live by these words that Dr. Ruth once said: "Live life every day like a turtle." To get anywhere, a turtle has to stick its neck out and take a risk. So take risks every day. It's the only way to truly live and make a difference in the world.

What are some of your favorite tips and tricks for bringing creativity into your elementary students?

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22 Simple Ideas for Harnessing Creativity in the Elementary Classroom

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Look through the door of one classroom and you might see the students hunched over, not engaged, even frowning. Look through the door of another classroom, and you might see a room full of lively students, eager, engaged and participating. What is the second teacher doing that the first one isn't?

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-they feel like they are in their own "universe"
-they are using all their skills to overcome a challenge
-they are focusing on goals that are clear
-they are given immediate feedback
-don't have to ask what to do and how...they are just using their skills

(Csikszentmihalyi, 1997, p. 47)

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Teachers Can Help Students Find Flow By...

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Teachers Can Help Students Find Flow By...

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-promoting "active free time"
-in this time, students devote as much attention to their leisure activity as they do to their academic work
-lack of imagination and energy can get in the way during this time

-a huge part of this active free time is controlling one's attention
-exercises can help focus attention, including: meditation, aerobics, martial arts, movement
-stress can "get in the way" of this... so these exercises can help calm the mind

(Csikzentmihalyi, 1997, p. 71)

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Mindfulness is a huge tool and so much research is being conducted on this practice! There are easy ways to incorporate mindfulness into the classroom, which can help all students "declutter" their minds and focus on their thoughts and actions.

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Creating a safe place for our kids to learn might begin with creating some space for them to breathe.

By Caren Osten Gerszberg

On a cold March afternoon, the hallways were abuzz with chatter and giggles at Chatsworth Elementary School in Larchmont, New York. As the kindergarteners from Liz Slade's class ambled into their classroom from lunch and recess and put their jackets and lunch boxes into their cubbies, Slade asked, "Can today's mindful leader please come up front and begin?"

Isabella, a 6-year-old wearing a heart-clad gray shirt and polka-dot leggings, quietly took a cross-legged seat on the classroom rug facing her peers. With her palms facing up and resting on each knee, she began to tap her thumbs on each of her fingers, simultaneously repeating the words "I-am-calm-now" with each tap. Without hesitation, each of Isabella's classmates, along with their teacher, followed their mindful leader, tapping their thumbs and saying "I am calm now," gently lowering their voices after each repetition until the room grew quiet. Slade then asked her students to slowly make their way to their tables and take out their "feelings" journal.

"They are learning the experience of settling their body," said Slade. "What used to be a wild time now becomes a charming, sweet moment when we all take a pause and come back to being present."

Chatsworth is one of thousands of schools across the country that is bringing mindfulness into the classroom. Growing numbers of teachers, parents, and children are reaping the benefits that learning mindfulness-defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally"-can bring, including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, increased focus and self-regulation, and improved academic performance and sleep, among others.

Children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety-25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.

With heightened academic pressure trickling down to kids as early as kindergarten, resulting in less time for play and the arts, children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety-25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Such early stress levels can negatively impact learning, memory, behavior, and both physical and mental health, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Escalating stress and pressure continue into middle and high school- a survey of 22,000 high school students conducted by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence found that, on average, students reported feeling negative emotions, such as stress, fatigue, and boredom, 75% of the time. An antidote to all this stress has never been needed more. Enter mindfulness.

Case Study: Mindfulness translates into improved academics

The Research on Mindfulness in Schools

While the implementation of school-based mindfulness programs for children in grades K through 12-such as Inner Resilience, Mindful Schools, Learning to Breathe, and MindUp to name just a few-is becoming more popular, empirical research proving the benefits of mindfulness is only beginning to emerge and more rigorous research will be needed over the coming decades. "We know very little about which programs work and what works for whom and under what conditions," said Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, Ph.D., co-author with Robert Roeser of the recently published Handbook of Mindfulness in Education: Integrating Theory and Research into Practice, and a professor and researcher at the University of British Columbia. A 2015 study by Schonert-Reichl looked at the effectiveness of a 12-week social and emotional learning (SEL) program that included mindfulness training. Ninety-nine 4 th and 5 th graders were divided into two groups: one received MindUp's weekly SEL curriculum and the other a social responsibility program already used in Canadian public schools. After analyzing measures, which included behavioral assessments, cortisol levels, feedback from their peers regarding sociability, and academic scores of math grades, the results revealed dramatic differences. Compared to the students who learned the social responsibility program, those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive. The group trained in mindfulness excelled above the other group in the areas of attention, memory, emotional regulation, optimism, stress levels, mindfulness, and empathy.

Compared to the students who learned the social responsibility program, those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive.

Although in its early stages, research on the effects of school-based mindfulness programs is being fueled by three decades of studies on adults, which shows promise for its psychological and physiological benefits. Researchers are turning their focus to children and teens to figure out what, when, how much, and from whom the teaching of mindfulness works best. "We don't have conclusive evidence at this point about the benefits or impacts of mindfulness on youth," said Lisa Flook, Ph.D., associate scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We do see the promise of interventions and trainings on outcomes related to grades, wellbeing, and emotional regulation." In other words, the research looking at the benefits of mindfulness in education is pointing toward the positive.

"Mindfulness is a powerful tool that supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention, and interacting effectively with others, all critical skills for functioning well in school and in life," said Amy Saltzman, M.D., director of the Association for Mindfulness in Education, and director of Still Quiet Place. "Incorporating mindfulness into education has been linked to improving academic and social and emotional learning. Also, mindfulness strengthens some underlying development processes-such as focus, resilience, and self-soothing-that will help kids in the long run."

This is What a Mindful Classroom Looks Like

No one sees the value of a child's impulse control and focused awareness as clearly as a teacher. Liz Slade, who's been integrating mindfulness into her classroom for the last eight years, once observed a student walk up to a tall structure of blocks being built by a few of her classmates. "I watched this little girl raise her foot to kick the blocks, take a breath and then walk away," she said. "The kids can learn to notice distraction, self-regulate, and ask themselves, 'What do I need?'"

Photo Credit: The Crim Fitness Foundation

Slade came to mindfulness on her own about 10 years ago, and after seeing the benefits in her own life, she started experimenting in the classroom with practices that used breathing and mindful listening. "As I became more knowledgeable, experimenting and seeing what was working, I was really impressed," she said. "The kids verbalized to me that they felt they had tools to use to handle stressful situations, which was very moving to me."

Recognizing the impact of her own practice and the positive effects in her classroom-and with the support of her school's principal, a critical component-Slade went on to apply for a grant for her school to bring in a formal training program called Inner Resilience, created by Linda Lantieri, who is also a founding member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). From there, the support and enthusiasm spread throughout the Mamaroneck School District among teachers, parents, and the administration, with the Inner Resilience training program now offered to teachers and support staff at all six of its schools, which serve 5,200 students. "The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning," said Lantieri. "If we are going to be in schools we need to make sure we are helping kids learn better, and if mindfulness can help with that, great."

"The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning," says Linda Lantieri, a founding member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Most experts feel that the best implementation of mindfulness involves a teacher having her own mindfulness practice or at least an understanding. "It is how they teach, not just what they teach, and if a teacher is mindful in a classroom, the kids learn to be mindful," said Tish Jennings, M.Ed., Ph.D., associate professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, who started a program called CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education) for Teachers. "Teachers are really under a lot of stress and we know their stress affects our kids, so supporting them is a win-win," said Jennings. Her recent research found that teachers trained in the CARE for Teachers program felt less time urgency and were more positive and more sensitive. In addition, children were more engaged and productive.

For Rosalie Choniuk, a teacher at P.S. 94 in the Bronx, New York, learning mindfulness through the CARE for Teachers program has been life-changing. "I am a completely different person since learning mindfulness-mentally, physically and emotionally," said Choniuk. As an ENL (English as a New Language) teacher, Choniuk wears several hats in her school, often providing coverage for teachers when they need to be out of the classroom. Before developing her mindfulness practice, Choniuk grew anxious every time she was to report to a particular fifth-grade classroom, where kids were unruly and fights often broke out. "Now when I go, instead of having anxiety, I set an intention to be calm and deal with them in a positive manner," said Choniuk. "I see the changes in the kids, who are less reactive, and the changes in myself, and now I look forward to being in their class."

Create a Culture of Mindfulness in Schools

If a classroom teacher is not able to provide mindfulness lessons to their class, schools often bring instructors in from outside the school. But long-term mindfulness programs can be difficult to maintain in the classroom with this model. "With an outside person, programs can work insofar as they can train teachers to keep it up," said Trish Broderick, Ph.D., founder of the Learning to Breathe program and a research associate at the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State University. "The advantage of bringing in a program to teach mindfulness is that it can be replicated and used effectively when taught by teachers or school staff who already have a relationship with the kids."

The Mindful Schools program prefers to call its approach an adoption-where mindfulness begins at the individual teacher level-versus a rollout, or top-down decision made by leadership to implement a new program. "We don't mandate this for all the teachers; we let it grow organically," said Camille Whitney, former head of research at Mindful Schools. "We encourage any number of people to take the course voluntarily, and encourage it as a group so they can practice and build a program together."

Photo Credit: The Crim Fitness Foundation

Integrating mindfulness into a health and wellness curriculum is another alternative for implementation. "Rather than adding on, a program can be supplemented into an existing program," said Broderick, whose Learning to Breathe program is often used as part of a middle or high school's health curriculum.

Last winter, Annie Ward, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Mamaroneck Union Free School District, wandered into a high school health class during a school visit. Ward was struck to see the students sitting quietly with their eyes closed and feet on the floor, as they listened to a guided meditation the teacher was playing on a CD. "It was great to see this meditation happen with no fanfare, watching the kids settle right into it and seeing that it was clearly a ritual," said Ward.

Transform School Culture

When teaching mindfulness is accepted and embraced, it can change the tone and tenor of an entire school, or district. In 2008, the South Burlington, Vermont, school district began an effort to train teachers and students, using the Inner Resilience program for younger grades, and the Learning to Breathe program for older ones. For two years, almost 130 teachers volunteered to take the mindfulness training, and the program continued to grow and expand more deliberately to include cafeteria staff and bus drivers, totaling 170 trainees.

On top of the school-wide effort, they also invited parents to participate by offering evening mindfulness classes and lectures by local experts and visiting instructors, and in some cases, regular updates from teachers on mindfulness activities in the classroom. Training the teachers before the children and parental involvement were two components integral to the success of the South Burlington district's efforts, according to Marilyn Neagley, former director of Talk About Wellness, an initiative dedicated to funding and developing programs for youth and family wellness.

Including parents when a program is introduced is a way to expose them to what mindfulness is and is not. And then there's the questionable connection to religion, which can, in some communities, be a hot topic. "One of the most important things we learned from public meetings with parents and the community was to be sure the training is completely secular with no religiosity at all," said Neagley. The teaching is based entirely on emerging neuroscience and keeping all references to Buddhism, and words commonly used during yoga, such as namaste, out of the school vernacular is critical. In some schools, the word yoga has been replaced with "mindful movement" so there is no confusion about the ways in which mindfulness is being taught. "What we are teaching is how to pay attention and be more aware, and how to implement that awareness in our lives," said Lantieri. "What we are teaching we teach in a secular context."

One of the most important things we learned from public meetings with parents and the community was to be sure the training is completely secular with no religiosity at all," says Marilyn Neagley, former director of Talk About Wellness.

For systemic change to take place in a district-as it did in South Burlington -administration and teachers need to figure out where mindfulness can fit, how it will work, and what is needed to bring it in. And there needs to be a point person who can move it forward. "Any district I'm working with has a superintendent or assistant superintendent who is thinking five years out, not just about one classroom," said Lantieri. "That's how SEL started, with one teacher who got excited."

After journaling time was over, Liz Slade's kindergarteners gathered again on the rug to do some imagination breaths. Going around the circle, each child paired a breath with a made-up hand movement and named it-a snowflake breath, a jellyfish breath, a clamshell breath-and the rest of the class mimicked the movement. After a while, when the kids got antsy, Slade asked them to get up and jump around. There were wiggles and tumbles and twists and then she said, "Now make a mindful statue." The children froze in place, and all you could hear was the sound of their breath.

Tips and Practices for Teachers and Parents

By Susan Kaiser Greenland

When children and teens practice appreciation painful thoughts and emotions sometimes show up. As parents we often want to ease our children's pain, but children can easily misinterpret guidance to be thankful as an indication that we're minimizing their challenges, even when that's not the case. So how should we help when painful emotions do come up? We should encourage kids to view how they feel through a wide lens, not to gloss over their feelings or push them aside. When kids acknowledge their hurt feelings and remember the good things in their lives, they embody an open mind. There's a practice I like to do called Three Good Things that gives children a chance to practice this holistic mind-set when they're upset and they need it the most.

Appreciation Practice: Three Good Things

When faced with a disappointment, we acknowledge our feelings, and then we think of three good things in our lives, too.

Leading the game:

1. Ask your child: "Do you ever feel disappointed by something or someone?"
Listen to children's stories.

2. Ask: "How did that make you feel? "
Acknowledge children's feelings and, if appropriate, talk about them.

3. Say something like: "I bet even when you're feeling disappointed there are good things happening in your life too. Let's name three good things together."

Tips for naming three good things:

1. Remind children that the point of this game isn't to pretend they're not upset when they feel upset. It's to remember that they can feel two things at once: they can feel grateful for good things while feeling sad, hurt, or disappointed by challenges.

2. If children or teens have trouble thinking of three good things on their own, brainstorm and help them discover some.

3. When kids understand that this game is not about sweeping their feelings under the rug, the phrase "three good things" can become a playful and humorous response to the minor gripes that show up in family life. For instance, if a young child spills a glass of apple juice and looks like he's going to cry, you can respond with something like, "Ahhh, that can be frustrating. Can you name Three Good Things while we wipe the counter?"

4. Parents can encourage kids to remind them to name Three Good Things when they're stuck on a trivial disappointment or minor annoyance, too.

5. To develop a habit of thankfulness, play Three Good Things around the dinner table, before bedtime, and at other times when the family is together (and no one is upset).

The more families carve out time to practice appreciation when life is good, the easier it is for parents and children to be thankful for the good things in life when times are hard.

At first, appreciation and thankfulness may feel like a mere intellectual exercise. Yet the more families carve out time to practice appreciation when life is good, the easier it is for parents and children to be thankful for the good things in life when times are hard. When that shift happens, appreciation becomes an integral part of a family's worldview and is no longer just an intellectual exercise.
This article was excerpted from Mindful Games © 2016 by Susan Kaiser Greenland. Illustrations © 2016 by Lindsay DuPont. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.

A Guide To Bringing Mindfulness into Your School

What can you do to bring mindfulness into your child's school? What are the best strategies, practices, and resources to implement a mindfulness program? Implementing a school-wide mindfulness program can take several years, so create a well-thought-out plan that includes presenting programming to parents and faculty. Be patient-making changes in schools can be a lengthy process. Here are a few things to consider:

Why teach mindfulness?
1) Kids are stressed.

1 in 8 children in the United States suffers from Anxiety Disorders. (National Institutes of Health)

1 in 5 children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood. (Child Mind Institute)

2) Teachers are stressed.

According to research, most teachers experience job stress at least two to four times a day, with more than 75% of teachers' health problems attributed to stress. (National Education Association)

The Benefits of mindfulness

Studies show that the benefits of mindfulness may include:

Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion

Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being

Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior

How to bring mindfulness into schools

Start with teachers. Teachers are the vehicle for integrating change into a school's culture. Is there a teacher who already has a mindfulness practice, and is willing to champion the effort to bring mindfulness into your child's school? If not, are there teachers willing to learn more about the benefits of mindfulness for themselves, as well as their students?

Know the science. The research on teaching mindfulness to children is only in its beginning stages, yet there are studies that show its impact on both the body and the brain. Scientific evidence is an important component for bringing administrators and faculty to embrace your plan.
A few key studies:

A 2016 study in Frontiers in Psychology measured emotional well-being of 7- to 9-year-olds and found that a school-based mindfulness program improves higher-order thinking, and helps students become more engaged, positive learners.

A randomized controlled study in the Journal of School Psychology on more than 100 6th grade students found those who completed classroom-based, teacher-implemented mindfulness meditation were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than the control groups.

A study of 4th and 5th graders published in Developmental Psychology found that students who received mindfulness training improved their cognitive ability and stress physiology, reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, and optimism, showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, and were more popular.

Engage faculty, administrators, and parents. Including parents and school staff-and ideally support staff, such as aides, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers-will provide the basis for the most effective implementation of a school-based mindfulness program. If there is hesitation or resistance to mindfulness, take the time to offer the facts, benefits, and science, and emphasize the importance of teaching mindfulness in school in an entirely secular way.

Look for developmentally appropriate practices. Mindfulness in schools comes in different shapes and sizes-just like the kids-so research the programs that fit specifically with the ages in your school. There are some designed for the youngest ages, which differ in style and content from those designed for older grades.

Which mindfulness program is right for your teachers?

There are a variety of programs you can consider recommending to teachers and administrators, or for your own training. Some are online, some use recordings, and some may require in-person training. Here are a few to consider:

4. Cheryl Brause
Mindfulness Instructor
Daniel Warren School * Rye Neck, New York

On a recent visit to the Daniel Warren School, where she's a visiting mindfulness instructor, Cheryl Brause entered a second-grade classroom, sat down, and made eye contact with the children who settled on the floor in front of her. "Instead of feeling the need to tell them what to do, I could simply acknowledge them one by one, silently welcoming them into our time together, and this let them know that I am here to listen and to be present with them as we explore mindfulness together," said Brause. As her own practice and knowledge deepened through a yearlong mindful educator certification that she completed this summer, Brause recognizes the changes in her experience. "I'm much less distracted while teaching, thinking less about what I need to accomplish, and more present and focused on the kids, allowing the lesson to flow from there."

Brause came to mindfulness as a means to slow down and be more present in her own life. It began with a yoga practice, and after trying a variety of types of meditation, it was an MBSR class that exposed her to mindfulness. "I realized how quickly mindfulness resonated with me and made a real difference in my everyday life," said Brause. "It made me realize how distracted I had been and how little time I spent being fully present."

10 Mindful Books for Adults

1. Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, by Patricia A. Jennings.

2. Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom, by Meena Srinivasan.

3. The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate, Susan Kaiser Greenland.

4. Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance, by Patricia C. Broderick.

5. A Still Quiet Place: A Mindfulness Program for Teaching Children and Adolescents to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions, by Amy Saltzman, MD

6. Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience, by Christopher Willard, Psy D

7. The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress by Gina M. Biegel

8. Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives by Holly Rogers, MD, and Margaret Maytan, MD

9. Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens Hardcover by Christopher Willard PsyD and Amy Saltzman MD

10. Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain Hardcover , by Daniel J.Siegel, MD

8 Mindful Books for Children & Teens

1. Visiting Feelings, by Lauren Rubenstein

2. Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee Maclean

3. Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), by Eline Snel.

4. Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids, by Maud Roegiers

5. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud

6. Lemonade Hurricane, by Licia Morelli and Jennifer Morris

7. What does it mean to be Present? By Rana DiOrio and Eliza Wheeler

8. Anh's Anger, by Gail Silver

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Best Practices for Bringing Mindfulness into Schools Creating a safe place for our kids to learn might begin with creating some space for them to breathe.

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According to the Achievement Goal Theory...

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According to the Achievement Goal Theory...

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-It's important to remember that not all students are motivated in the same ways...in fact, there are different ways to be highly motivated

-think of encouraging two types of achievement goals:
1. "engagement with the purpose of developing competence through learning and developing skills"
2. "engagement with the purpose of demonstrating competence"

-Also, remember that a student's perception of achievement goals can be influenced by their culture

Important Note:
**students are more likely to succeed when they view learning as acquiring skills (internal standard) versus comparing themselves to others (external standards, social-comparative)

(Urdan & Kaplan, 2020, p. 2)

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Emphasize Mastery Goals over Performance Goals

-Be careful when sending or implying messages regarding getting good grades, success on standardized tests, competing with other students...this sends messages related to performance goals and really detracts from teacher's messages about personal growth

-Model mastery goals for yourself as a teacher...this way, students can see how you do this and when, serving as a model for them as they work to create and achieve their goals

(Urdan & Kaplan, 2020, p. 8)

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Students could be experiencing:

1.  "dissembling" - see that the task has value but don't feel they have the abilities to reach demand

2. "evading" - don't see that the task has value but feels they have abilities to reach demand

3. "rejecting" - don't see that the task has value and don't feel the have the abilities to reach demand

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 143)

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-create engaging opportunities that capture students' interest and apply immediate feedback!

-encourage students to engage in opportunities that allow them to acquire, not display, skills

-also, give feedback to support this - focus on effort, care, and concentration, NOT ability

-show appreciation of accomplishments, imply confidence that they will achieve their goal!

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 150)

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Using Game-Like Activities!

-incorporate challenge and "test yourself" activities to engage students
-examples: puzzles, challenges, "brain teasers"
-activities can ask students to solve problem, find shortcuts, avoid traps, overcome obstacles

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 146)

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Using visual brainteasers in the classroom encourages critical thinking in your students, and let's face it: Kids love this kind of game-based learning! We have searched the internet for some simple, yet effective, visual brainteasers that will encourage logical thinking and help your students develop those all-important problem-solving skills. Teachers may get some enjoyment out of trying to work out some of these brainteasers too...

Put one up toward the end of class as a fast finisher activity. The discussions you have around how the students worked out the brainteasers are crucial.

The answers to these brainteasers can all be found at the end of this post, so we won't give them away until you've had a chance to do a little mental workout and improve your own lateral thinking before you try them out with your students.

1. What comes next?

Let's start off with a brainteaser for pattern recognition. Can your students work out which patterned block goes in the fourth spot?

2. How many blocks in this tower?

A brainteaser to test students' spatial visualization and their ability to study 3-D figures. Can your students work out how many blocks are in this 3-D tower?

3. Can you work out the net?

This brainteaser is great to test spatial visualization. Students have to mentally put together the 3-D cube to work out the correct net.

4. How many triangles?

In this visual brainteaser, students need to work out how many triangles there are in the image.

5. How many squares?

Similar to the visual brainteaser above, however students need to work out how many squares they can see.

6. Move one glass only...

In this visual brainteaser, students can see three glasses on the left that are full and three on the right that are empty. If they make one small change, they can make a row of alternately full and empty glasses, but they only do one change! What do they have to do?

7. Make 10

The matchstick test is a great problem-solving brainteaser. Students need to remove six matches to make 10. Which ones do they move?

8. Top view

In this non-verbal brainteaser, students must work out which is the top view. You may like to time them to see who can work out this one the quickest...

9. What parking spot?

This visual brainteaser was spotted on a Hong Kong first-grade student admissions test, and it's a great puzzle to encourage children to think laterally. Can you work it out? Apparently, children around the age of 6 are much more likely to solve this problem than older students and even adults.

10. What is our weight?

This is a great mathematical problem-solving activity for students to work out the weight of a dog, cat, and bunny in the fourth image.

Finished?

Finished these ten visual brainteasers with your class? No worries - check out some of our printable brainteaser resources that can be sent home with your students for some game-based learning at home or worked on right in the classroom:

Or save some paper, and give these virtual brainteasers a try! Perfect for indoor recess or a pre-break activity, these puzzles are all built on Google Slides so kids can work on them right at the computer. You can even share with remote students! And don't forget the 20 brainteaser task cards that get your students moving and thinking, using common classroom supplies such as crayons to solve problems.

Answers

1. Opposite squares are exchanged in this problem, so the answer is A.

2. There are 9 blocks.

3. B and C can be immediately rejected visually. D will create a mirror image of the given cube. So the correct answer is A.

4. There are 44 triangles.

5. There are 40 squares.

6. Pour the second glass from the left into the empty glass second from the right.

7. You can make the word 'ten' by removing the bottom matchstick and two side matchsticks from the first letter. The far-right matchstick on the second letter and the top and bottom matchstick on the third letter.

8. The answer is C.

9. Turn the picture upside down. You will then see the following number sequence: 86, ?, 88, 89, 90, 91. So the answer is 87.

10. Math calculations will give the weight of the dog as 17 kg. Therefore, the weight of the cat and the rabbit is 10 kg, so the answer is 27 kg.

Love these brain teasers? You'll need to give 20 brain teasers a try!

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10 Visual Brainteasers Kids Will Love! - %%sitename%%

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Using visual brainteasers in the classroom encourages critical thinking in your students, and let's face it: Kids love this kind of game-based learning! We have searched the internet for some simple, yet effective, visual brainteasers that will encourage logical thinking and help your students develop those all-important problem-solving skills.

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Incorporating Games into Classroom Example

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Incorporating Games into Classroom Example

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~Social Studies~

-provide artifacts, historical accounts, data, or any other clues and ask students to reconstruct an event by acting like a "detective" or "historian"

Example:
-give pictures of pioneers on the frontier, the Wright brothers with their plane, African-American students integrating into a segregated school, and an astronaut

Challenge: “All of these people are pioneers. Can you figure out what pioneers have in common?”

(Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 147)

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Focus on Creating a Motivating Learning Environment

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Focus on Creating a Motivating Learning Environment

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Promote Engagement in Extracurriculars/Curriculars

-Schools can provide opportunities for students to engage in activities that help them learn and grow in their skills.  These can be extracurricular or curricular - either way, schools can give students a place to expand on their interests and "catch a spark" when finding something they have passion for (Cushman, 2010, p. 24).

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-AP courses
-robotics club
-combining poetry and playwriting
(Fires of the Mind)

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Ways to Adapt for my Elementary Students

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Ways to Adapt for my Elementary Students

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-challenging activities to expand students' interests
-encourage clubs to engage in activities outside of school (running club, dance, Student Council, etc)
-integrate students' interests into academic activities

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Resources - Combining Science + Hands-On Activities

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Resources - Combining Science + Hands-On Activities

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If you're looking for easy science experiments for kids as well as science based activities, you'll find dozens, for all age groups, here on my blog.

What is Science?

Science is the study of the world around us. Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Environmental Science are just a few examples of the sciences that surround us every day.

Incorporating Science into Playful Activities

Because science plays a major role in almost everything we do and observe, it's easy to incorporate simple science concepts and lessons into fun experiments, countless art and sensory activities, and even into some of the crafts you do with your kids.

Use Common Household Materials and Supplies

And many can be done with very little prep, and with common household supplies (soap, food colouring, toilet paper etc) or natural occurring materials (baking soda, water, ice, salt etc.)

Below, you'll find all of the science activities that I've shared on my blog, over the years, conveniently grouped by category.

Whether you're looking for beginner science activities to do with toddlers and preschoolers, or simple but cool science experiments to do with elementary school kids and tweens, you're bound to find some ideas here that you'll love.

Science Activities for Kids

Classic Science Activities:

Ice Experiments:

Water Experiments & Activities:

Absorption Experiments:

Artful Science Activities:

Gravity Activities:

Sensory Based Science Activities:

Building & Structure Activities:

Check back often, as I'll continue to add more science-based activities as we do them.

You can also find hundreds of ideas from myself and other bloggers on my Science Board on Pinterest.

Get my latest e-book:

40 hands-on, learning activities for kids ages 3-8. Recipes, experiments, art projects, printables and play ideas with links to 80 activities not featured in the book.
Download your copy today for just 9.99
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Science Activities for Kids - Happy Hooligans

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Tons of fun and easy science activities for kids. Classic science experiments and wild and wacky science-based activities for home or the classroom.