Understanding and
Motivating Students
Responsibility in the Classroom: A
Teacher’s Guide to Understanding and
Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Do you know a student who
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 seeks attention or is susceptible to peer pressure?
seeks power to control others or is defiant?
seeks revenge or hurts others?
gives up easily or avoids tasks?
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Motivate Students By Giving
Them What They Need
Connection-
Capability
The Four C’s having the sense of belonging
-having the ability to take care of oneself
Counting -having the knowledge that one can make a difference
Courage -believing one can handle what comes
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Motivate Students By Giving
Them What They Need
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The Four C’s
Connection-having the sense of belonging
Capability—having the ability to take care of oneself
Counting—having the knowledge that one can make a difference
Courage—believing one can handle what comes
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

What are you currently doing to help your students feel…
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Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

The Need to be Connected
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Survival depends on our ability to bond.
Through development we must move from total dependency to interdependency.
Move from being dependent, to being someone upon whom others can depend.
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Children who don’t connect in constructive ways feel insecure/isolated, seek attention and are more susceptible to peer pressure.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Children who feel connected…
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 feel secure can reach out can make friends can cooperate
“I believe that
I belong.”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

The Need to Develop
Competence and Feel Capable
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Upon moving from dependence to interdependence, one must develop the ability to be independent (some degree of selfsufficiency in performing certain tasks).
The foundation of feeling competent and capable comes with the ability to take care of oneself.
Children who don’t feel capable may try to seek power, control others and/or become defiant.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Children who believe they are capable…
“I believe I can do that.”
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 feel competent have self-control and self-discipline assume responsibility.
 are self-reliant
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

The Need for Significance-
The Belief That One Counts
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We want to feel we make a difference, that our existence matters.
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People who don’t believe they count through constructive means try to prove that they count through negative means. They may seek revenge and hurt others.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

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Children who believe they count…
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 feel valuable believe they can make a difference believe they can contribute
“I believe that I matter and I can make a difference.”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

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To take risks requires courage.
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Children without courage focus on what they can’t do. They often give up and avoid.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Children who have courage…
 overcome fear
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 feel equal, confident, and hopeful handle challenges; are resilient are willing to try
“I believe that
I can handle what comes.”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

What might you do to help your students develop a sense of…
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(counting)
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Essential Skills for
Academic Success
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Children need to be able to communicate effectively in order to connect constructively.
Children need self-discipline to become capable.
Children need to believe that they count and make a difference if they are going to be willing
to assume responsibility.
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Children need good judgment if they are going to use courage wisely and safely.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Getting a Need Met
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When children succeed in getting a need met, they gain courage for future tasks.
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When children experience only failure, they lose some of their courage and become timid of future tasks.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Misbehavior
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Children who don’t feel connected, capable or that they count, develop misbehaviors.
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When children don’t get their needs met in constructive ways they find unconstructive ways to feed their needs.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Misbehavior
Students who feel
 not connected
 not capable
 they don’t count
 no courage
Act out by
 seeking attention
 seeking power
 seeking revenge
 seeking avoidance
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Please Remember
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Misbehavior is NOT the problem.
Misbehavior is the student’s attempt to find a solution for a problem they feel they have.
We have to help children find alternative solutions.
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Helping Students Reflect on
Purpose of Behavior
Possible questions
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“Do you know why you________
(describe specific behavior)?”
“May I tell you what I think?”
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Helps confirms hypothesis about behavior
Helps students feel understood
Will not be effective if you punish or accuse
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Questions Related to
Specific Behaviors
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Attention
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“Could it be that you would like people to
 notice you?”
“Could it be that you would like more of my time?”
Power
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“Could it be that you want to show people that you can do what you want?”
“Could it be that you want to show people that they can’t make you do what they want?”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Questions Related to
Specific Behaviors
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Revenge
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“Could it be that you sometimes feel that
 others are hurting you and you want to show them how it feels by hurting them back?”
“Could it be that you feel others treat you unfairly and you want to get even?”
Avoidance
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“Could it be that you’re convinced that you will never measure up and you would rather not try at all and perhaps you wish people would just leave you alone
?”
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Teacher Interventions:
Demanding Attention (Connection)
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Minimize the attention given to misbehavior
Notice behaviors you want to encourage
Act, don’t talk
Act before there is a problem
Assign jobs that get positive attention by being helpful to others
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Teacher Interventions:
Seeking Power (Capability)
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Think about what YOU can do rather than what THEY should do
When correcting, focus on the behavior not the child
Don’t allow situations to escalate
Give student real responsibilities
When possible, decide on rules as a class
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Teacher Interventions:
Seeking Revenge (Count)
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Make a list of positives about the child
Refuse to retaliate, escalate or humiliate
Before trying to resolve conflicts, allow for cooling off period for both of you
Offer lots of chances for the child to help others
Share responsibility for solving problems with the child
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Teacher Interventions:
Practicing Avoidance (Courage)
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Create learning experiences from mistakes
Set students up for success
Recognize effort and small improvements
Teach positive self-talk
Don’t give up
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Encourage vs. Praise?
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Encouragement-instilling courage by helping students see their strengths and developing a belief in themselves
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Praise—pointing out what we think he/she does well
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Helping Students Feel
Connected
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Provide opportunities for cooperative interactions
Show an interest in each student
Give positive attention
Find and recognize strengths and talents
Show acceptance—separate the deed from the doer
Send cards, messages, homework to absent students
Conduct classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Helping Students Feel
Capable
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Create learning experiences from mistakes
Build confidence
Offer participation in classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Helping Students Feel
They Count
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Through contributions
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By helping one another (peer tutoring)
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By helping the community
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Through recognition
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Through participation in classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

Helping Students Feel
Courageous
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Don’t expect perfection of self or others
Point to strengths, not weaknesses
Don’t make comparisons with others
Ask questions of student
Ask questions of yourself
Allow students to experience natural consequences
Avoid criticism
Through participation in classroom meetings
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

The Three R’s of Logical
Consequence
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Related logically to misbehavior
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Respectful in order to avoid humiliation
(firm and kind)
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Reasonable—logical and understood by adult and student
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther

What will you do in order to understand and motivate your students?
How will you help them feel…
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 connected?
capable?
as though they count?
(worthy) courageous?
Responsibility in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Understanding & Motivating Students
Dr. Amy Lew & Dr. Betty Betther