Creating Routines for Motivation

After a busy summer of OCDE Project GLAD® Foundations trainings we are always energized by the enthusiasm of the teachers we’ve had the pleasure to support. Oftentimes, on the last day of the demo the teachers’ take away from the PD was that the students were so engaged and motivated to learn. They want to take that love of learning back to their classrooms and start the year off right with skills for motivating students.

All Project GLAD® strategies are grounded in underlying concepts that create a safe learning environment, where student take risks with language and concepts. It starts with building motivational routines.

Three Personal Standards

When you are creating your classroom culture, communicating and reinforcing clear expectations for behavior is one of the most important things to do to start off on the right foot.

Knowing what to expect and how you will react in many situations creates trust between you and your students. Many experts agree on the hallmarks of successful behavior expectations:

• Limit the number
• Introduce them early
• Be consistent
• And stay positive

The OCDE Project GLAD® model offers 3 personal behavior standards that aligns with these guidelines.

• Make good decisions
• Solve problems
• Show respect

Word Choice is Intentional

 The word choice for these 3 personal standards is very intentional. We make good decisions, rather than make good choices. A choice is usually something that the adult gives - you have a choice between these 2 things. But a decision is the onus of the student. Hopefully, the decision they make for how to handle any given situation will be a good one. If it is not, then it is still a teachable moment. Guiding students to practice making decisions when they are relatively low-stakes will help create the life skills necessary when they need to make high-stakes decisions and there may not be adults around to help them.

We also intentionally say solve problems, rather than solve your problem. The phrase ‘solve your problem’ could be internalized to mean ‘you have problems’ or ‘you are a problem’. When we depersonalize ‘solve problems’, the problem is removed from the person, and we can objectively find solutions.

Finally, show respect is broad enough that it could encompass showing respect to people, oneself, the classroom or environment.

GLAD® offers only these 3. Any classroom or school rule you can think of can fit under one of these standards! Walk in the hallway – make good decisions or show respect. Use manners, an inside voice, listen – show respect. Use time wisely, stay on task, come to class prepared – solve problems. The list is endless. Students can more easily remember 3 personal behavior standards than they can a list of 10+ rules!

Finally, when you use and practice these 3 personal standards make sure to phrase them in the positive. For the student who is told all day, “Don’t do this,” “Don’t do that,” learning to phrase behaviors in the positive changes the tape player in their head to pro-social behavior. We like to offer students a response frame when talking about the standards. Instead of saying, “Jessica wasn’t talking,” we frame it positively this way.

 ____Jessica___ earned an award for _showing respect_ by _listening to the speaker_.

       Name                                                     standard                        behavior

She earned an award? What award?

Literacy Awards

The reinforcers for the 3 personal standards are called Literacy Awards. They are brightly colored pieces of paper that include authentic images and embed academic content and vocabulary. They can even include interactive tasks, prompts, or activities linked to grade-level standards. When you or one of their classmates (a scout) “catches” a student exhibiting one of the personal standards they earn a literacy award. EARN is another intentional GLAD® word!

When we earn something, it takes on a greater importance than if somebody gave it to us. If the teacher gives me an award it could be for all kinds of reasons. Maybe I made a good decision, but maybe I complimented her hairstyle today or she just likes me better. And if she gives it to me…maybe she can take it away for equally fickle reasons. But if I earn an award – that was because I displayed the appropriate behavior. I did it and no one can take it away. Even though it may be an extrinsic reinforcer, it creates pride that relates directly to intrinsic motivation.

 In addition to the brightly colored paper awards, that we call Super Scientist Awards, you can also create other types of awards that are linked to literacy. Try mini-notebooks, postcards, bookmarks, or for primary students “I’m a ____” stickers. Do you have other ideas?

We hope you have a great school year! Consider implementing the 3 personal standards with literacy awards in your classroom to create routines that are simple, reinforceable, engaging, and motivating.

Your biggest fans,

Jody and Sara

nextstepsprojectglad.com