Dear Ms. Wormwood,

In the following pages you will find our comprehensive plan for helping Calvin with his many motivational issues. It may seem like a long process with many roads to travel, but you can do it Ms. Wormwood! Although our undercover agent found no evidence to back this up, we are sure that deep down you have a warm heart and are willing to do whatever must be done in order to help Calvin. Our comprehensive plan outlines a fool-proof description of what must be done to motivate Calvin.

 

Curriculum and Instruction

You need to change your methods of instruction to help Calvin, Ms. Wormwood. One theory you could use when designing a new method of instruction is the Attribution Learning Theory.

Attribution theory is based on learned helplessness and mastery beliefs. The subject matter you should cover is material well within the Zone of Proximal Development. Whether it is math, science or reading, Calvin and the other students will need to avoid the learned helplessness feelings and strive towards mastery beliefs. It is a delicate balance, but one that fosters the best chances for success in this theory. The subjects should be taught in a manner that is student centered, not subject centered. Projects and other creative learning methods would be successful. For Calvin, a unit on dinosaurs may start him on the road to attaining mastery beliefs. The content should be covered adequately, but not too fast as to have some students fall back to learned helplessness. Ms. Wormwood, you will need to structure your lessons in line with the factors that the children will “attribute” to success or failure.

Another method you could use is the Self-Determination Theory. Self-determination theory is based on motivational patterns and the use of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Currently Calvin has no set pattern of using intrinsic motivation and his extrinsic motivation is rarely sparked unless it is about something like dinosaurs, and usually this happens away from school. If you are to reach Calvin, you have to find that intrinsic motivational topic. You can alter your lessons to better reach the interests of Calvin and all the other students, making sure your pace is working for the class. With his extrinsic motivational pattern at school, you can find smaller ways to reward him or motivate him away from the whole class. If he is noticed for what he is successful at, his patterns may change. Once again, if you can focus on subjects Calvin feels more competent in, he will respond accordingly. Give him choices and some control over his learning and the motivation will come. Soon he will be practicing intrinsic motivation on his own.

Ms. Wormwood, you could also use the Interest Theory when designing your new approach to instruction. In interest theory, students see success in subjects they are personally more interested in. Certain topics or certain situations may spark the interest. Topics may spark interest in a child and they will want to do anything to learn as much as possible about that topic. Ms. Wormwood, you know about Calvin’s interest in dinosaurs, so you might consider creating a specific unit just on dinosaurs in hopes of getting him to connect with the material and internalize it. Once this is done, the hope is that it will spill over to other subjects for him after he feels successful in the dinosaur unit. For every child it may be a different topic, but if you can find the right information it will help all the students. If you find a unit a student really connects with, I think you can actually give them more material because their interest is already there. You need to scaffold this learning for the students whose interest in not peaked by the current topic. Catch and hold tactics and student choices all will work well with this theory.

The final theory you could use is the Self-Regulation Theory. Self-Regulation Theory is based on metacognition, strategies and reflection. When a student has a task they desire to achieve they are able to reflect back on previous knowledge and that knowledge determines the direction they take with the current project. They build on that previous knowledge and use strategies for how to face future challenges. You could teach math and incorporate self-regulation. When the students move on to harder problems it will be the building blocks of the smaller numbers that they reflect on to make sense of the larger or more difficult problems. If they don’t succeed at a task, they learn to alter their strategies and try again after reflecting on why the first strategy did not work. As long as you use scaffolding to build on as the lesson proceeds, the students should be able to keep up. Once again, any topic needs to be within the children’s’ Zone of Proximal Development. If you can follow a student centered approach again, the learning will be more enduring.

By changing your method of instruction to fit these learning theories, you could help Calvin be a more willing student.

Classroom Management

One classroom management strategy you can use to address Calvin’s misbehavior during class is assisting his mastery beliefs skills. According to the Attribution Theory, structuring a responsive environment provides opportunities for students to make choices in their education. Personal choices in a classroom environment helps students foster a sense of control over their learning. When Calvin feels more involved in his learning, his incidents of negative behaviors might decrease. Another classroom management tip to decrease problematic behaviors is to change one’s attitude about failure. The Attribution Theory suggests that instructors understand making mistakes is a process of learning. Students should be encouraged to make mistakes, not reprimanded. Instead of criticizing incorrect answers, foster a connection between the mistake and the leaning process to achieve the correct answer. This will decrease Calvin’s situations of learned helplessness, and encourage involvement in the learning environment.

                  It is apparent that Calvin fails to display responses to intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Another classroom management tip addressing Calvin’s behavior is to foster his intrinsic motivation. The Self-Determination Theory states that intrinsic motivation comes from within an individual, but to foster this motivation, teachers must encourage students’ psychological needs including autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Instead of disciplining Calvin’s unique behavior, you should observe what he is interested in. After noting what he finds intrinsically motivating, such as creativity, you should foster that in the classroom. For example, Calvin’s astounding creativity could be promoted in the classroom by allowing him to act out a scene from a historic event. Building on what currently motivates him will encourage his motivation in other academic aspects. Further, it is important to encourage future motivation by providing positive feedback for work well done.

                  To decrease Calvin’s problematic behaviors, it is also important to include positive reinforcements as a part of daily classroom management. According to the Self-Determination Theory, positive feedback includes rewards and praise. Although, I have noted some instances of positive feedback in your class, it is important to assure that the reward is worthwhile to each individual. For Calvin, a sticker is not going to motivate future behaviors. Through further observation teachers must understand specifics about what makes each child tick. I would try a “free homework ticket” or “free choice time”. Such rewards would possibly motivate him more than a sticker. In addition, the Self-Determination Theory also notes that praise often promotes future positive behavior. In Calvin’s case, it is important to give positive feedback on what he deems important. Only noting he did “good work” on an exam might not be important. Another possibility is to compliment his creativity on a project.

                  The Interest Theory provides several classroom management suggestions. This theory suggests that when beginning a topic, teachers should provide situational interest to catch the students’ attention. Some possible ways to begin a study would be to tell an exciting story, to have students solve a puzzle, to have students play a game, or to have students work in a group to create a topic specific hypothesis and test it. These examples are termed catch facets, and could draw Calvin in for the time being. To continue this interest, it would help to assist students to develop individual interest. This interest is a deep and enduring interest that learners have for a topic. Individual interest will not always follow situational interest, but it can be fostered by incorporating hold facets into lectures. Hold factors include making the subject meaningful and encouraging interaction with the topic.

                  Although these concepts do not specifically apply to Calvin’s behavior problems, if Calvin is interested and involved in class, he is less likely to act out. In addition, further study of Calvin’s personality and individual interest could be built on in the classroom. For example, Calvin’s interest in dinosaurs could be incorporated in class during a field trip to the museum or a dinosaur lesson.

                  Finally, another way to address Calvin’s behavior in class would be to assist him to become a self-regulated learner. Teachers should model and scaffold appropriate learning behavior and teach varied learning strategies. According to the Self-Regulation Theory, encouraging classroom discussion is extremely important. Teachers can initiate classroom discussion and debates where students can also learn from each other. Classroom discussions and use of learning strategies help students feel more in control of their learning. Again, these strategies do not directly relate to Calvin’s behavior patters, but if they are implemented into the class could encourage his self-regulation as a learner. Therefore, Calvin’s incidences of problematic behavior and lack of motivation would decrease.

One-on-One Interaction

                  As we have discussed, there are many theories to help Calvin become a more motivated student. Through our research we discovered that Calvin is the type of student that depends on one-on-one instruction. When undergoing a process of developing a one-on-one relationship with Calvin you can use these many different theories.

                  The first theory you can focus on when dealing with Calvin one-on-one is the Attribution Theory. You might already have some ideas about why does poorly in school, but it is important to find out Calvin’s own beliefs about his abilities. You can do this by sitting down with him to discuss his poor test results. Instead of sending him to the principal's office for writing obnoxious answers, find out why he chose to write that answer. It is likely that Calvin has not achieved mastery beliefs or that he has a sense of learned helplessness. To help Calvin achieve mastery beliefs and undermine his sense of learned helplessness, you can review his tests and help him figure out ways to succeed on the next one. Help him understand that his ability to do well on test is in his control.

                  It is clear that Calvin is neither intrinsically motivated nor extrinsically motivated in your classroom. When you give him stickers for good work, he simply doesn’t care. He isn’t interested in the subjects you teach. You need to find a way to intrinsically motivate Calvin, and what better way to do this than by using principles from the Self-Determination theory? You need Calvin to develop a sense of autonomy, relatedness, and competency. You can foster these one-on-one by getting to know Calvin as an individual. He is very creative. Help him become intrinsically motivated by giving him lots of individual praise for his creativity. Pull him aside and tell him what a great job he did.

Another way to encourage Calvin one-on-one is by using principles of the Interest Theory. You need to find out what Calvin enjoys to do. Ms. Wormwood, if you could only see how engaged and excited Calvin is at home when he is imagining, you would not believe it! To get him to view school with such a passion is possible. When Calvin is interested in something, he will be motivated to learn it. We know that Calving loves dinosaurs. Naturally, it is impossible to incorporate dinosaurs into every subject. Most of your student would hate this and become bored quickly. It is possible, however, to incorporate dinosaurs into Calvin’s activities alone. Create worksheets just for him with a dinosaur theme. Incorporate these into reading, writing, and math classes. Soon you will see Calvin become more engaged in your classroom. After awhile you can fade out this intervention.

The final motivational theory to focus on during one-on-one interactions with Calvin is the Self-Regulated Learning theory. To use this theory, you must help Calvin see that you are there to support him and help him. When you assign a project to the class, sit down with Calvin and explain what he needs to do in order to accomplish the project. Help him learn how to regulate his own learning by teaching him, among other things, time management techniques.

                  By working with Calvin one-on-one you will begin to see a change in his abilities to perform well in your classroom.

Communication with Calvin’s Parents

In order for you to truly help Calvin, it would be best if you were able to interact with Calvin’s parents. If you and Calvin’s parents were a team, you may be more successful in getting Calvin to make the changes that are necessary for him to succeed in school. However, what you should say to Calvin’s parents and the different ways in which they can help would differ based on the four theories of motivation.

If you used attribution theory to discuss Calvin with his parents, you would ask them to try and help foster mastery beliefs in him. His parents could help do this by helping Calvin attribute both his success and his failure to outcomes that are within his control. In this way, the team of you and Calvin’s parents could focus on changing Calvin’ explanatory style from a pessimistic to an optimistic one. Calvin’s parents could then help try and turn around Calvin’s pattern of learned helplessness.

From the view of self-determination theory, you would ask Calvin’s parents to try and develop Calvin’s sense of autonomy. They could do this by shifting the focus from external motivation (being rewards and prizes) to having Calvin do things for internal motivation. Part of doing this would include having Calvin’s parents find out the things that interest him and then asking his preferences. If Calvin only does things for rewards, you would have a situation in your classroom where you would have to give Calvin external motivation to get him to do almost anything. Calvin’s parents could really foster internal motivation by using non-controlling language and praise instead of rewards.

The perspective of interest theory is another view in which you could use to ask for support from Calvin’s parents. Because interest theory focuses on catching and holding a students interest, you could ask Calvin’s parents to seek out what interests Calvin and then use those interests to hold his attention on the task at hand. Calvin has a problem with procrastination and would rather be outside most of the time than doing homework. He is also interested in dinosaurs. Calvin’s parents may be able to hold Calvin’s attention on the homework by relating whatever he is doing to dinosaurs or another interest of Calvin’s.

Self-regulated learning theory is one more perspective you could use to approach Calvin’s parents. Calvin’s parents could help foster Calvin’s ability to self-regulate his own learning. As it is now, Calvin is unable to do this. He does not show much ability to self-monitor and self-regulate. There are many things you could do in the classroom to develop self-regulation in Calvin, but this must also start at home. Calvin’s parents could communicate that they support Calvin and are there to help him whenever he should need it. They could also give Calvin strategies for regulating his own learning.

We believe if you follow our plan for Calvin, he will become your best student. Don’t give up on this bright young man, Ms. Wormwood. He has the potential to be America’s brightest star!

Sincerely,

Jenny – One-on-One Interaction Specialist

Heidi – Classroom Management Specialist

Shane – Curriculum and Instruction Specialist

Hannah – Parental Communication Specialist