This document discusses strategies for creating a positive classroom learning environment and motivating students. It provides examples of motivational strategies like connecting instruction to students' lives, promoting self-efficacy, and communicating that success is due to effort rather than ability. The document also discusses establishing norms and expectations, using positive attention, maintaining a caring environment with appropriate control, and focusing on a positive to negative feedback ratio of at least 4:1. The overall goal is engaging and motivating students through research-based strategies.

1. Keelie Stucker
January 17, 2014
Standard 5 – Creates a positive
classroom learning environment
5.1 Motivates and affectively engages students

2. 5.1 What to look for?
Uses multiple research based motivational
strategies highly effectively. Almost all
students appear highly motivated almost
all the time. Students may be in engaged
in self-directed learning. Adjusts and
refines use of motivation strategies based
on effectiveness.

3. Strategies
What are some strategies?

4. Strategies
 Connect instruction with students’ lives
 Using authentic examples and interesting materials
 Providing choice
 Promoting self efficacy
 Communicate success is due to effort not ability

5. What is the environment like in your class?
What words would you use to describe it?
What words would students use to describe it?

6. Five ways to create a learner – friendly
environment – High Impact Instruction by Jim Knight
Co-construct norms
Reinforce students when they act consistently
with the cultural norms.
Spread learner-friendly emotions
Design a learner friendly learning environment
Walk the talk

7. Power – what are some dangers of
teacher power?
 Examples

8. Power With, Not Power Over
High Impact Instruction by Jim Knight
Empathy
One to One conversations
Listen
Conflict should not become personal

9. Caring and Control
What would a classroom look like if the teacher
was very caring, but had no control?
What would a classroom look like if the teacher
was very controlling, but not very caring?

10. Expectations – Why have them?
All must move toward the learning goal.
How do we get students to follow them?
 1. Act. Explaining the activity and what students have to do
 2. Talk. Explaining what kind of talking, if any, can take place.
 3. Move. Explaining what kind of movement can and cannot
take place in a classroom.

11. We do not believe in ourselves until someone
reveals that deep inside us something is
valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust,
sacred to our touch. Once we believe in
ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder,
spontaneous delight or any experience that
reveals the human spirit.
 E. E. Cummings

12. Positive attention
“Positive attention is not the same as talking
positively. Positive attention is based on what
students are doing when we attend to them,
not the tone of our voice.” Jim Knight
Positive attention will fail if it is not genuine.

13. What is your Positive to Negative
Comments ratio?
Record or video tape yourself in class.
Ask a peer to observe and give tally marks.

14. Why give positive feedback?
What are some examples of meaningful positive
interactions?

15. Reference:
Knight, J. (2012). High-Impact Instruction: A
great framework for teaching. Corwin.
Network for Educator Effectiveness. (2014).
Indicator 5.1. University of Missouri-Columbia.