Motivating learners is the key to learning. In order to achieve this, we often try to create a smooth learning experience. However, according to Heath and Heath, it may well be better for us to focus instead on including 'peak' experiences during the lesson. This presentation looks at four key ingredients we can use to create such moments: Elevation - Pride - Insight - Connection.

1. Motivation:
Creating Peak Moments
By Nick Michelioudakis

2. YouTube: Psychology and ELT – Peak Moments

3. The ‘Peak-End’ Effect
YouTube: Cognitive Biases: Peak-End Effect

4. • To look at the importance of creating ‘Peak Moments’ in class
• To look at how we can create such moments
• 4 Key Elements:
 Elevation
 Pride
 Insight
 Connection
Session Aims

5. • Moments that rise above the everyday; something that we
would like to share perhaps
• E.g. a love-letter / a coloured card from your kids / something
both unexpected or incongruous and pleasurable
• Over to you: how can we create such moments in class?
Elevation

6. E: Questions [AQBL]
• Work in pairs. You will have to ask each other about your
partner’s daily routine.
• You need to ask them at least 10 questions – very quickly (max
time: 1 minute)

7. E: Questions [AQBL]
• Breakfast? • Time / home?
• Leave home? • How / return?
• Get / school? • TV?
• Hours? • Homework?
• Subjects? • Dinner?
• Lunch? • Time / bed?

8. E: Questions [AQBL]
• Now do the same thing again – but this time, your partner will
not answer your first Q; when you ask them the second Q, they
have to reply to the first one; when you ask them the third one,
they have to reply to the second …etc! 
• Now switch roles.

9. E: Questions [AQBL]
• Breakfast? • Time / home?
• Leave home? • How / return?
• Get / school? • TV?
• Hours? • Homework?
• Subjects? • Dinner?
• Lunch? • Time / bed?

10. • Moments that capture us at our best – moments of
achievement.
• E.g. Cups, medals, certificates, awards, thank-yous, notes of
recognition.
• Over to you: how can we create such moments in class?
Pride

11. P: A New Kind of Animal
• Students work individually, in pairs or in groups.
• They think about the animals they know, their features and the
way they live.
• They then try to come up with an imaginary animal – one
which does not exist and which can have any kind of quality
they like [if possible they draw it too].
• They present their creature to the rest of the class.
• The class vote on the best idea.

12. P: A New Kind of Animal

13. P: A New Kind of Animal
• This animal is a reptile. It has a shell like a tortoise to
protect itself from attack. For additional defence, it has a
tail with spikes which can be very dangerous (the horns on
its head are used primarily to fight other males during the
mating season). Although quite heavy, the creature can hop
about on its hind legs like a kangaroo. The most amazing
thing about it though is that it has evolved to have feathers
on its front limbs which enable it to fly short distances.

14. P: A New Kind of Animal

15. • Moments which rewrite our understanding of the world.
• E.g. Short stories, poems, epigrams, articles or quotes that
moved you or changed the way you see things. Something that
captured your thoughts.
• Over to you: how can we create such moments in class?
Insight

16. I: Quotes
• Work in pairs.
• Student A: You will be shown 5 quotes for one minute. Choose
3 of them and write them down.
• Your task is to explain the meaning to your partner.
• You must not use any of the key words in the quote!
• Your partner will then be shown the 5 quotes. They will have
to identify the ones you talked about – in the right order!

17. I: Quotes [Demo]
• ‘Not all those who wander are lost.’ (J. R. R. Tolkien)
• ‘Speak softly. And carry a big stick.’ (T. Roosevelt)
• ‘You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.’ (I. Gandhi)
• ‘If you really know what you are going to do, what is the
point of doing it?’ (P. Picasso)
• ‘I saw him again the other day. He had changed so much, he
didn’t recognise me.’ (T. Bernard)

18. I: Quotes – Student A
• ‘A lawful kiss is never worth a stolen one.’ (Guy de
Maupassant)
• ‘It is better to have a permanent income than to be
fascinating.’ (O. Wilde)
• ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.’ (L.
Tzu)
• ‘It is not what you look at that matters, it is what you see’
(H. D. Thoreau)
• ‘We build too many walls and not enough bridges.’ (Isaac
Newton)

19. I: Quotes – Student B
• ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again.
Fail better.’ (S Beckett)
• ‘Life is like a bicycle; you have to keep going so as not to lose
your balance.’ (A. Einstein)
• ‘Everybody wants to save the planet, but nobody will take
out the rubbish.’ (J. Yanne)
• ‘People who know how to run a country are either taxi-
drivers or hairdressers.’ (G. Burns)
• ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing.’ (E. Burke)

20. • Moments which are strengthened because we share them with
others
• E.g. ‘Show and Tell’: Little objects, presents, heirlooms,
souvenirs and all kinds of photos
• Over to you: how can we create such moments in class?
Connection

21. C: Mobile photos
• Work in pairs.
• Take out your mobile phone.
• Look through your picture gallery.
• Choose one picture which means something to you.
• Share it with the person next to you and tell them the story
behind it.
• Your partner has to ask you 3 questions about it.

22. YouTube: Psychology and ELT – Connecting People

23. “We are not in the language
business teaching people;
We are in the people business
teaching languages.”

24. Blog: www.michelioudakis.org
Blog: simply type ‘ELTNick’
YouTube channel: ‘Comedy for ELT’
E-mail: nickmi@ath.forthnet.gr
Nick Michelioudakis

25. Nick Michelioudakis
+30 6932123166
www.michelioudakis.org
nickmi@ath.forthnet.gr
NB: All the video clips you have watched today can be found onNB: All the video clips you have watched today can be found on
YouTube under ‘Comedy for ELT’ or ‘Psychology and ELT’.YouTube under ‘Comedy for ELT’ or ‘Psychology and ELT’.