Ever wish your students were more motivated? If you’re like most of us, you have tried an array of rewards and punishments to motivate kids. There’s only one problem: it doesn’t work. At least it doesn't work well enough. People (yes, even students) aren’t motivated from the outside so rewards and punishments only work to a point. We are internally motivated. That’s why it's essential to engage and inspire students to be motivated to succeed in school (and life.)

If you’re ready to move beyond the reward/punishment model and embrace a whole new way to understand motivation, I encourage you to come back regularly. It’s time to challenge the status quo and create schools and classrooms based on what really motivates behavior.


Thursday, October 13, 2011

What's the Purpose of Education in the 21st Century?

Everyone wants a quality education for our students. But what exactly do we mean by "a quality education" and what is the purpose of education in the 21st century? I begin to explore this topic in "What's the Purpose of Education in the 21st Century?"

As always, I welcome your comments.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Sports, Education, & The Importance Of Mission

One thing that makes professional sports appealing is that the mission is clear: winning. One of the reasons why it's hard to improve education is that there is little agreement about our mission.

Read more in "Sports, Education, & The Importance of Mission."

Friday, September 23, 2011

Testosterone, Aggression, and the Power to Change

There is compelling research that suggests our actions have a direct impact on our physiology. This supports the concept of "Total Behavior," a key component of choice theory psychology. To read about these findings and how it can be helpful to those dealing with aggressive behavior in school (like bullying), read "Testosterone, Aggression, and the Power to Change."

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

What We Can Learn From Finland

While we test our kids into mediocrity, Finland has an entirely different approach to education. And entirely different results!
Read more in "What We Can Learn From Finland."

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Giving "Tickets" for Appropriate Behavior

Giving kids "tickets" for acting appropriately is part of the "catch them being good" mania that can be found in many schools. Ever wonder what such practices teach our students? Read "Giving 'Tickets' for Appropriate Behavior" to find out what harm I think we are doing.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Focus on School Success

You've heard all the criticism of schools and teachers. Turns out, there are a lot of exemplary schools out there. Read all about it in my post "Focus on School Success."

Saturday, August 13, 2011

If You Think Teachers Are Overpaid.....Just Wait!!!

If you believe Arne Duncan, teachers should earn more money that graduates of Harvey Mudd, whose graduates are ranked as the highest paid! If you believe Arne Duncan, I have some property you might be interested in buying. Read Duncan's disingenuous comments at "If You Think Teachers Are Overpaid....Just Wait!!!"