Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Questions to Consider

Motivation

            In my class (Spanish) the main thing I try to do as a motivational tool for my students is to find ways they can relate to the topic at hand. How does this connect to their culture for example? How can I find ways to make my topics have a connection to their lives and broaden their perspective? For example, at the moment I am teaching about all the different countries that speak Spanish and their culture in comparison to ours here in the States.  Some topics are, but not limited to is the general climate. What is the climate like in Costa Rica in comparison to Tennessee? What are the schools like in Peru for Kids in comparison to our school system? What is the average diet in Mexico in comparison to ours? What sports are more popular in Chile in comparison to the U.S.? I hope that the students will find something in all the topics I provide that will spark an interest and they will enjoy learning and making connections across a variety of cultures.

            Another motivational tool I use quite a bit is games. This sparks lots of competition in my classes because we compete for play Mexican currency called Pesos, which I use for bonus points. Most students want those extra points and the games are fun if you study. If you do not study it’s not as fun and everyone notices if you have no clue about the topic at hand.

            I also use conversational activities where students have to wear clothes pins and if they speak English they lose a clothes pin along with their daily participation points. The students have fun taking points from others. The motivation behind this tactic is you have to know the material and how to converse or ask “how do you say” in Spanish in order to not lose your points.

            One thing the book mentions is Teacher Expectations and Attributions (p.391) that teachers can make all the difference by finding strengths in their students, by praising accomplishments, and encouraging those that are not doing well that they can easily redeem themselves with more effort. I use this tactic at home with my 4 and 5 year old and so far it works.

Carla Pelizzari