Presentation at the 2012 Connecting Leaders Conference British Columbia. Shares the stories of how a school had moved away from awards, honour roll, rewards, and punishments to see school culture flourish.

1. Connecting Leaders 2012
Chris Wejr
@chriswejr
CC Image from Fe 108Aums www.chriswejr.com

2. ABOUT
ME

3. Today We Will Reflect Upon:
1. Creating the conditions for
students to motivate
themselves
2. Focusing on strengths
3. Growth Mindset
4. Moving from Awards and
“Honour Roll” to “Honour ALL”
5. Moving away from
rewards/punishments
Image: http://flic.kr/p/9ksxQa

4. Kent Elementary School
Agassiz, BC
For each student to master core skills,
develop their strengths and interests and
become a confident learner.

5. “We cannot motivate others…
we can only work to
create the conditions for people
to motivate themselves.”
--
Image: http://flic.kr/p/8zWLAj

6. Intrinsic/Inte
rnal
Extrinsic/Ext
ernal
Image: http://flic.kr/p/5PbHjR

7. Daniel Pink
Autonomy – Mastery - Purpose

8. CC Image from c_ambler

9. Relationships
Strengths & Growth
Mindset
Interests
Creating
The Conditions
Descriptive
Leadership
Feedback

10. REFLECT:
• Introduce yourself at the table.
• Why are you here today?
• What conditions do we create
for students to motivate
themselves?
• How can we create more?
Image: http://flic.kr/p/9ksxQa

11. Focusing on Strengths
“Each child has a gift...
We need to see and nurture these gifts so they emerge and
flourish throughout an individual’s life ” -- Lorna Williams
Image: http://flic.kr/p/7JuLGh

12. The Strength
of Dom

13. “We don’t know who we can be…
until we know what we can do”
-- Sir
Ken Robinson

14. “We must guide our children toward
recognition and understanding of
their strengths.”
-- Jenifer Fox
-- Jenifer Fox
CC Image: http://flic.kr/p/bhvabR

15. Exploring Interests Through
CHOICES

16. Showcasing the strengths
of each student…

17. CC Image from mliu92

18. [Descriptive] feedback is the single
most powerful thing we can use to
impact student learning
-- John
Hattie
Image: http://flic.kr/p/9tDGX6

19. REFLECT:
• What actions can we take to
move toward a system that
helps to bring out the
strengths of students?
• How can we help students
develop a GROWTH
MINDSET?
Image: http://flic.kr/p/9ksxQa

20. "In the fixed mindset,
to be successful,
you must be better
than others"
Carol Dweck

21. CC Image: pennstatelive

22. Not Everyone Agrees
“…no wonder kids these days are this way… me me me -
so entitled”
“So everybody gets an award –
and nobody learns anything about the competitive real world”
“this is why the children of today have become the lazy,
uncaring adults of tomorrow.”
“You can only get better by playing a better oponent (sic). By takeing
(sic) away the motivation you end up with the disgruntled youth of
today who sit around and do nothing.”
“This is the same attitude that has principals puinishing (sic)
bullying victims rather than the bully.”
“he is just a socialist principal with a feminist agenda”

23. “There is ample evidence that extrinsic
motivators are likely to demotivate…
and that losing in a competition
(of recognition) is even worse.”
Alfie Kohn

25. Awards
are all
Relative
Image: http://flic.kr/p/uLc7b

26. Rick Lavoie – Competition in Schools

27. No awards.
No student of the month.
No honour roll.
3 years later.

28. Moving From Honour Roll
to Honour All

29. Pride in Who We Are

30. REFLECT:
• How can we move toward a
school culture that honours
ALL students?
• What do you see as the
pros and cons to awards
ceremonies at your school?
Image: http://flic.kr/p/9ksxQa

31. Image: http://flic.kr/p/bBMn78

32. My issues with rewards in school...

33. Sitcom Motivation

34. You caught me being good.
Can I get my prize now?
Image: http://flic.kr/p/bCtpS

35. “People use rewards expecting to gain the
benefit of increasing another person’s
motivation and behaviour, but in so doing,
they often incur the unintentional and
hidden cost of undermining that person’s
intrinsic motivation toward the activity”
-- Jonmarshall Reeve

36. Doing the right thing...
just because it is the right thing to do.

37. A Culture of Reading Without
Points, Prizes, or Pizza Parties

38. Moving Away From
PUNISHMENT
Image: http://flic.kr/p/5U5FG3

39. Students need teaching.....
not punishment.
Image: http://flic.kr/p/7fsxma

40. "The school discipline program is
not working for the kids who
aren't doing well and is not
needed by the kids who are."
-- Dr. Ross
Greene

41. Dr. Ross Greene
Kids Do Well if They CAN

42. Creating the Conditions:
Student Discipline

43. RESTITUTION
Making it right.

44. Image: http://flic.kr/p/5NLcz
They are humans. Be patient.
It will be ok.

45. Justin’s Story

46. "Extrinsic rewards have a
negative impact
[on learning] because they
undermine people’s taking
responsibility for
motivating and regulating
themselves"
Edward Deci
CC Image from Sarah Sosiak

47. Creating the Conditions:
LEADERSHIP

48. REFLECT
What actions can we take
to move away from
rewards and punishment
to a culture that builds
responsibility in our
students?
Image: http://flic.kr/p/3xs2PE

49. Final Reflections
• What can we do to build responsibility in students
by focusing more on intrinsic motivation?
• How can we move from a fixed mindset to a growth
mindset in our students?
• How can we place more emphasis on strengths of
our students?
• How can we work to authentically honour all our
students more often?
• How do we move toward teaching skills and away
from rewarding and punishing?

50. What are 2-3 things YOU can do
to create the conditions for
students to motivate themselves?
Image: http://flic.kr/p/8zWLAj

51. Must Reads for Parents/Educators
Drive Mindset Punished by Lost at School
Daniel Pink Carol Dweck Rewards Dr. Ross Greene
Alfie Kohn

52. Connect With Me
www.chriswejr.com
About.me/ChrisWejr
@chriswejr
Facebook.com/chriswejr
chriswejr@gmail.com