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How the Hell Do We Motivate These Kids?
How the Hell Do We Motivate These Kids?
Todd Stanley (Author)
In my over 20 years in public education, I have seen my fair share of students who became disinterested with school. This manifested itself in obvious ways such as not turning in work, poor grades, lack of participation in classroom activities, and just a general apathy for school.
Equally alarming to me was the evolution I saw in my own children concerning their attitudes about school. Both girls, bright and compliant, came to dislike going to school. Not to the point where they were missing days or receiving poor marks, it was more subtle. Whereas before my daughters could not wait to get to school to see what interesting thing they were going to learn, in their later years the act of going to school became a chore, a job. What had happened to that enthusiasm they had displayed those first few years of school? Where did things go wrong and suddenly they were hoping for snow days or counting down the time until summer break? What had happened to my daughters’ love of learning?
This is what this book sets out to do; to change the mindset about schools as being places someone goes because they have to, rather than going because they want to. To take the love of learning every student possesses and make school the place where this can happen. The idea behind this book is that teachers can use the strategies shared to make their classrooms places where students want to go to learn, to help to motivate not just the unmotivated, but to inspire those kids who once loved going to school. This book seeks to answer that age old question, how the hell do we motivate these kids.
About the Authors
Todd Stanley is a National Board teacher and the author of many teacher-education books including Project-Based Learning for Gifted Students: A Handbook for the 21st Century Classroom (2nd edition), When Smart Kids Underachieve in the Classroom: Practical Solutions for Teachers, Authentic Learning: Real World Experiences that Build 21st Century Skills, and his latest, Promoting Rigor Through Higher-Level Questioning. He served as a classroom teacher for 18 years where he taught 2nd graders thru seniors in high school. He is currently the gifted services coordinator for Pickerington Local Schools in central Ohio where he lives with his wife Nicki and two daughters, Anna and Abby. You can follow him on Twitter @the_gifted_guy or visit his website at thegiftedguy.com where you can access blogs, resources, and view presentations he has given.
ENDORSEMENTS
We know that the majority of students, by the end of elementary school, do not want to come to school to learn what we teach them, and COVID teaching amplified the importance of motivation to engage in school work. Instead of bribing, coercing, demanding compliance, using grades as carrots, Stanley provides so many powerful ways to invite students to learn in your class. This is the go-to book to know the HOW to motivate your students
John Hattie, Emeritus Laureate Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education
Todd Stanley reminds us that getting kids motivated is not controlled by a flip of the switch or just because we are frustrated as educators, but rather paying attention to research-based strategies that actually DO work. This thoughtful book will help you to get back to some powerful grass-roots strategies that have been proven effective over time while placing each student at the center of their educational and motivational gravity. This book will leave you saying “Hell yeah!” instead of literally wondering “How the hell do we motivate these kids?”
Dr. Rick Jetter, Co-Founder of Pushing Boundaries ConsultingAuthor of nine books for educators including 100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should STOP Doing Ranked #17 in the World’s Top 30 Global Gurus in Education for 2021.
Do any of your students lack motivation? Can it be a challenge to get certain students to put forth a strong effort? Well, in How the Hell do we Motivate These Kids, Todd Stanley describes dozens of teaching strategies and classroom activities that any teacher could use to increase student motivation and improve student learning in their classroom WITHOUT relying on grades to be the carrot on a stick! Read about a few strategies today, and use them in your classroom tomorrow! Stanley is a true classroom practitioner who has taught multiple grades from third through high school, as well as being a gifted/talented teacher. He draws from those experiences to provide the reader with anecdotes of the activities and methods that worked and those that didn't. He is the real deal when it comes to reaching students because of his strong belief in using pedagogical teaching practices that connect with his learners and never being satisfied with anything less than his best. Be sure to check out How the Hell do we Motivate These Kids published by FIRST Educational Resources, as well as any of his 14 other AMAZING professional development books.
Paul Solarz, Author, Learn Like a PIRATE: Empower your students to collaborate, lead and succeed4th and 5th grade teacher - Arlington Heights, Illinois
Usually, books written for teachers are focused primarily on students and lessons. Jen Townsend takes a slightly different approach to inspiring change in teaching and learning and prompts educators to look inward. Think Differently offers teachers an invitation to be reflective, focus on their thoughts, and consider how their beliefs impact their decisions. Readers will come away with new ideas for using strategies such as observation, mentorship, and inquiry and a true appreciation for collaborating creatively and contemplating the "why" of classroom work.
Paula Kluth, Ph.D., Author of Universal Design Daily: 365 Ways to Teach, Support & Challenge All Learners