Clinical Field Experience C: Bag of Tricks
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Paper instructions:
Motivation and engagement are keys to effective instruction. Children who are motivated and engaged are more likely to master concepts. It is important to have motivation and engagement strategies prepared for the year, so you can utilize them in a time of need.
Allocate at least 4 hours in the field to support this field experience.
Every teacher has a “bag of tricks” they use to motivate and engage their students. For this assignment, you will be exploring different engagement tactics.
Collaborate with your mentor teacher about his or her use of strategies to motivate and engage students.
Listed below are possible questions:
What intrinsically and extrinsically motivates students to learn?
What intrinsically and extrinsically motivates students to behave?
What strategies do you use for a child who refuses to work?
How do you keep your students engaged in a lesson? In centers?
What are ways in which technology is used to engage learners?
Spend your remaining field experience hours observing your mentor teacher as he or she seeks to motivate and engage students during the lesson.
Write a 250-500 word reflection summarizing ways to build a positive and engaging learning environment for young children, including the use of technology to engage students and support creative thinking. Additionally, discuss how student motivation relates to engagement.
During my field experience, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my mentor teacher and observe her strategies for motivating and engaging her students. Through our discussions, I learned that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators play a role in encouraging students to learn and behave. Intrinsic motivation comes from within the student and can be fueled by a sense of accomplishment or the enjoyment of the task at hand. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from external factors such as rewards or praise.
My mentor teacher shared a variety of strategies she uses to motivate and engage her students. For example, she uses a positive reinforcement system to encourage good behavior, and she creates opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning by allowing them to make choices and set goals. Additionally, she incorporates technology into her lessons to engage students and support creative thinking. For example, she uses interactive whiteboards and educational apps to make learning fun and interactive.
One strategy my mentor teacher shared for dealing with a student who refuses to work is to first try to understand the underlying reason for their resistance. She also uses positive reinforcement and choice-making to help the student feel in control and motivated to participate.
To keep her students engaged, my mentor teacher uses a variety of strategies such as cooperative learning, hands-on activities, and movement breaks. Additionally, she uses centers in her classroom to allow students to explore and learn at their own pace, which also helps to maintain engagement.
Building a positive and engaging learning environment for young children requires a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, positive reinforcement, choice-making, and the incorporation of technology to support creative thinking. Additionally, keeping students motivated is essential for maintaining engagement in the classroom. Through my field experience, I have gained a deeper understanding of the strategies and techniques that teachers can use to create a positive and engaging learning environment for young children.
