A teacher must be able to use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a mathematical learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Description of Artifacts
Artifact 1: Classroom Management: EnVoy
EnVoy is an amazing tool to use in the classroom to getting student's attention, keeping a happy and responsive classroom, and allowing students to drive their own learning. |
Artifact 2: Classroom Store: Individual Reward System
This artifact is a reward system that I used in my student teaching experience. I loved that it allowed students to set and achieve their own goals. It also gave the whole class a goal of working together as it builds community. |
Analysis
Artifact 1:
EnVoy uses 7 gems that supports a responsive classroom community. I learned a couple while student teaching and am looking forward to taking the full course to gain as much knowledge using this tool as possible. Raising your hand and counting back from 5 with your fingers allows to the students, especially a chatty class, time to wind down from discussion and focus on the speaker. I also liked the Above, Pause, Whisper attention-getter. The students were naturally curious as to what I was saying, so they quieted themselves down instead of me directing them to do so. This system allows for students to be in control of themselves and their learning, instead of the teacher having all the control in the classroom. It gives the students individual and group motivation that encourages positive behavior in the classroom. |
Artifact 2:
The school store is an amazing experience that each child enjoyed at the end of every quarter. I loved watching the students fill their pockets with their rewards. As each child earns money throughout the quarter, either academically, socially, by meeting goals, doing random acts of kindness or helping other, they were all eager to balance their checkbook during the quarter and spend it at the end. I am not one to focus too much on extrinsic motivation, but I think that setting and achieving goals builds the desire to want to do well intrinsically. This artifact also focuses on social interaction: when the class is doing well interacting, learning and working together, they earn money for the classroom checkbook. Then, when the class has enough money, they can vote on a reward for the whole class to enjoy. |
Synthesis
Artifact 1:
I think EnVoy is an amazing classroom management system that works with every classroom. I have seen all 7 gems in action, but I have not had the privilege to learn and use all 7. The gems that I was able to learn while student teaching, I found extremely useful and positive. I stayed happy and positive as some days grew long with multiple reminders to stay on task, follow along, stop blurting and focus. This is a wonderful tool that I look forward to using in my own classroom. |
Artifact 2:
The school store motivates students to follow the rules in the classroom, to set goals and persevere to accomplish them. I love how it also units the students as a class to do their very best, help and encourage others to do the same. The one thing that I'm not sure about is focusing on extrinsic motivation. I have not had enough experience with extrinsic motivators to know if they will eventually lead to intrinsic motivation. I want my students to WANT to learn, help others, and do their very best. I am anxious to find out what this reward system will bring to my students and my classroom! |