One Formula for Success

Just came across an article about a young math teacher who has been acknowledged for his success in Indianapolis. The first paragraph sums it up nicely: "Michael Anderson says his recipe for success in the classroom is simple: Earn students' respect, create an environment where it's safe for them to try and even fail, and then make the material relevant to their lives." To read the entire article, visit

www.indystar.com/article/20100521/NEWS04/5210328/1001/NEWS/IPS-Teacher-of-the-Year-goes-from-mutiny-to-best-in-class

A couple of things stand out. Anderson identifies building an emotional connection as the first step in successful teaching. Also, this is only his third year teaching! It is widely (and erroneously) assumed that it takes many years for teachers to become highly skilled experts. That would be true if the most important variables in teaching were related to content. But Anderson demonstrates that successful teaching is based on factors that even new teachers can excel in from the beginning of their careers.

Thanks, Michael. We need a lot more like you in schools everywhere. I wish you continued success and joy as you serve in this most noble field.

internalmotivation.net newsletter

Putting the final touches on the June internalmotivation.net newsletter. I hope to have it completed within a few days. It will include articles about

1.Paying students for good grades;

2. What research says about spanking children (and a suggested alternative to “time out”);

3. The importance of creativity in business leadership;

4. Learning opportunities related to internal control psychology;

5. More!

To be put on the mailing list for this FREE newsletter, simply send me an e-mail with your first and last name requesting to be added to the mailing list. Be certain to put “newsletter mailing list” in the subject line of your newsletter so I can find it if your e-mail somehow finds it way into my “spam” folder. I’ll send the newsletter to you and you can print, copy, and share with everyone interested in internal motivation.

Note: I will not share your contact information!

bob@internalmotivation.net

External Rewards & Creativity

IBM’s Institute for Business Value recently conducted a study involving 1500 chief executives to determine the most important leadership competency for the future. The result: creativity. (http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/may2010/id20100517_190221.htm?link_position=link4) Think about that for just a moment. Research repeatedly suggests that the reward/punishment model stifles creativity.

When we work for an external reward, we are motivated to do exactly what you want. That’s compliance. It’s not creativity. If we’re serious about having students be “college and career ready,” and if we want to promote excellence in leadership, we need to foster creativity rather than snuff it out.

Welcome to Inspiring Student Motivation!

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.