Motivation for Learning: Kohn and Pink and Meyer

 I recently read three pieces addressing student motivation by authors that I follow because they each trigger my thinking with their insights and examples: In an Education Week article , Alfie Kohn commented on the current interest in the “Marshmallow Studies” (past blog) and “Grit” (past blog ). He raised the concern that the enthusiasm […]

Read more...

Motivating Students from Poverty

This week I was working with teacher leaders from a GA district who were studying with instructional coaches and administrators from their buildings. We examined teacher leaders’ roles in facilitating PLCs, building team cultures, and promoting a culture of coaching. One of the areas that emerged from our conversations was how to assist teachers in […]

Read more...

Developing Intrinsic Motivation

In my use of backwards planning to gain student motivation, I am continually asking teachers to identify what student behaviors are needed to reach the student achievement that has been set as a goal. Very often they identify intrinsic motivation. When we take the next step in backwards planning, we have to examine “what teacher […]

Read more...

Looking at Learning

I’ve been searching and gathering thoughts and examples that explore what learning could and should look like. In Tapping Student Effort, and in many of my presentations, I present William Glasser’s model of motivation from survival, belonging, power, freedom and fun.   Connecting that with Daniel Pink’s work in Drive (autonomy, mastery and purposefulness), I […]

Read more...



Pondering Topics