One of our students is concerned about motivation techniques

In my role as student teacher, I have acquired more responsibilities in the classroom. One of the questions I have with regard to students in the classroom is how to truly motivate them. My cooperating teacher uses an app called "Class Dojo,"  through which points are awarded to students (or the class) for either being on task, participating in class activities or displaying good behavior. As I have looked into Class Dojo I have determined that the purpose is for teachers to encourage students and to share positive moments with parents. 

I think it is a great tool to connect with parents as they can view their child’s progress. However, the ability for the teacher to add or subtract points digitally seems the same as posting a chart and receiving stars for good behavior. Depending on the setting used, all the students in the class are able to view how many points each student has accrued. I would assume the private setting is best to use so that other students and parents do not have access to the points that others have accumulated........or not accumulated. 

During the first week of student teaching I was asked to award points to students for being on task. However, I began to question myself with regard to awarding individual student points, I decided to give the class as a whole a point for being on task. I did not feel it was the right thing to do to award individual points on this app. I have some concerns............I believe this is a form of extrinsic motivation that only will work in the short term.   Further,  I believe that we as educators must seek to motivate our students  through intrinsic means. Thus, my question to you is this....... what kind of motivational strategies  do you use to engage and encourage students?

Nicole and differentiation practices

I am student teaching in a private preschool and we service children with autism. At first, I was so nervous because I didn’t know how I was going to include differentiation into my lesson plans. There are about 10 students in the class, seven of whom have been diagnosed with autism. These students are sweet as can be but it is just so hard to find activities that they are able to do and can, at the same time, include the other students that need the challenge.  My cooperating teacher and I have written my first lesson plan together and she has helped me include differentiated instruction into my lesson plan. This past week was my first time taking over the classroom and I was a bit nervous. The lesson went pretty well and the students loved the activities that I incorporated into the plan for the day but here are a few questions I have for you:

What are some ways in which you include differentiated instruction into your lesson plan?   

Have those lessons worked out in class as it was planned in your head?   Do you think that we need more instruction in our classes as to how we differentiate our lesson on a regular basis?  

Grace Jackson asks about connections

As I begin my student teaching, I feel as though I am on a roller coaster of emotions. The feeling of excitement and relief of finally getting into the classroom for the first time is, of course, one of the strong emotions that I have. I often find myself asking if this is truly happening and telling myself not to “mess up.”  Most importantly I was terrified as to how the students were going to take to me as I began to  become a part of their classroom.  Despite having this scared feeling, I found that these young students connected really well with me during the first week. However, some of them are still warming up to my being in the classroom and that is ok with me. I want them to feel like I am a part of the little family that my cooperating teacher has created within the classroom.

Finally here is my question to you..

1. How did you connect with your students for the first time you were in the class?

2. Do you feel that having a connection with the students is the most important part of your student teaching experience