Using Language to Motivate 8th
Grade Students and to Create a Positive Social Environment from a Teacher’s
Perspective
Allison
M. Ryan and Helen Patrick conducted a student survey research investigated to
the role that teachers have in creating a positive social environment in the
classroom. Ryan and Patrick hypothesize in general that prior motivation and
engagement were strong predictors of subsequent motivation and engagement
versus gender race and prior achievement as indicators of achievement. Also
students perceptions of two to support and teacher promoting interaction and
displaying mutual respect or positive indicators as motivation and engagement.
They also theorize that performing performance goals were negative indicators
of student motivation and engagement. Teachers have many roles. Besides
effectively delivering the curriculum, teachers HAve the almost impossible job
of motivating their students to do the very best they can, even in the face of
overcoming many academic obstacles I read over the data
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from Ryan and Patrick,
and wanted to explore the language that teachers use to motivate students as a
form of literacy . What I discovered that sometimes a teacher’s best effort to
motivate their students, there may be times when there are obstacles for the
teachers. As a form of literacy the language teachers use to motivate students
and to create a positive social classroom environment may be effective but the
obstacles for a teacher to motivate the student and create a positive classroom
environment can sometimes be even greater. Their students.
Allison and Ryan surveyed
233 students an 8th grade math class for 15 teachers in a Chicago
urban school system and the student efficacy of the teacher for motivating the
students and promoting a positive classroom environment. Many of the students
comprised of African-American students. My research was also conducted in an
urban school system in the South Orange middle school eighth-grade science
class I interviewed one teacher who has this year 134 students this year. The
teacher discussed several language methods that he uses to motivate students to
do their best in his science class. Some of the literacy includes the
following:
I am
here for you
treat
the boys with respect
kids
need to know that you care and that you treat them like family
middle
school boys need to be treated with respect
the
Windows are opening and you can create opportunities for yourself but this is
the time when Windows can start opening and Windows can start closing if you
have dreams of owning
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a
sports car or going to a good college those Windows can open up for you now and
if you want to go to school you have only two options.
Student level
Diversity is the theme
and the South Orange middle school in New Jersey. In almost any class you may
experience inclusion classes. Inclusion classes reflects the no Child left
behind law and then race to the top to receive additional federal funds for
education, many districts incorporate
special learning students into mainstream classes. An example of an inclusion
class may be 27 mainstream students along with several students that need
classroom support. The majority of the
student ethnic population is white or Caucasian.
School district
south orange New Jersey
is a middle and middle class neighborhood. According to www.greatschools.org the student population is comprised of 51% Black or African American and
41% white or Caucasian. The average eighth-grade score for the NJ ask in
science is 88%. These schools teacher to student ratio is
Gender
great schools.org rates
the student population by gender, ethnicity and by grade.
Economics
south orange New Jersey
median home purchases are about $400,000. As a result the district has many
resources for its mainstream and special learning students.
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Observations
Ryan and
Patrick suggests that in order to encourage motivation and approval a positive
classroom environment that teachers should display such characteristics as
caring friendliness understanding and dedication ( Ryan and Patrick page 440).
As a literacy motivational language can come in many forms and this science
teacher in the transcript has provided an example of the literacy that he uses
to motivate his students. Ryan and Patrick go on to suggest that motivating
students in creating this positive classroom environment as a stronger impact
on increase grades then encouraging’s performance from the students.
Performance goals for certain emphasis on competition and comparisons among
students in the classroom. They suggest this approach to students is
particularly harmful because of the adolescents heighten sensitivity and increase
self-consciousness. (Ryan and Patrick page 442).
The
science teacher has provided the language that he uses to promote motivation in
the classroom environment however I would like to add some of his observations.
The teacher provides an open door policy for the students to approach him with
questions related to science including other classes and personal questions if
needed. The teacher shown his effort to make the students accountable for his
or her work by emphasizing that he is not interested in calling parents to
discuss missing or effortless assignments by the students. He constantly
reminds them that he would rather work through any academic problems with the
student since this is the students work and the students education not the
parents however if needed
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he will call the parent
10 for conference. In this way the the teacher promotes what Brian and Patrick
suggest that mutual respect between the teacher and the student and
communicating that respect contributes to the students feeling of psychological
safety and comfort including low anxiety and the low threat of making mistakes.
ST indicates in the transcript that students have a lot of fear at this grade
level and part of his role as the teacher is to help them get rid of some of those
fears including testing quizzes fear that their parents will be disappointed.
By promoting mutual respect and communicating that respect to the students the
teacher is able to promote the mutual respect that Ryan and Patrick suggests
(Ryan and Patrick page 441, 442).
“ST”
shares his form of literacy for motivating students and creating a positive
social classroom environment, but when asked about the effectiveness of this
literacy, ST reveals an obstacle that he and possibly many other teachers
experience in this case.
In my
interview I began excerpt two with asking ST the effectiveness of this literacy
in motivating students and creating this classroom environment, ST was
forthcoming in his response. ST revealed he felt ineffective in creating this
environment and motivating a small student population. He felt that he was an
effective in motivating the students that receive classroom support and that
are the special learners because he feels the district makes it quite difficult
for those students to be motivated to achieve. In his transcript he pointed out
that the students are forced to follow a curriculum that does not support their
learning needs and as a
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result it is difficult
for them thrive in his predominantly mainstream science classroom. He suggests
that the district should tailor a curriculum for the students to survive in the
world and that the district is doing them a disservice by not preparing this
curriculum.
Conclusion
teachers have to juggle
multiple roles in a students life but middle-class school teachers have an even
more challenging role. Adolescents struggle with social issues, maturity
levels, academic growth and middle school teachers are challenged to deliver
the curriculum and to motivate the students to achieve and to pick themselves up
when they’re struggling. The difficult job but when you also challenged to
teach students that you know that cannot maintain academic readiness in your
classroom the challenge could he be even more difficult. ST suggests that
districts should modify curriculum to adjust to the needs of those students
that are not mainstream in the classroom. Using language and other devices to
motivate them may be an effective because of their learning challenges. I have
experienced this very point almost each day with two students who I provide
classroom support and assistance to. One student is constantly disappointed in
himself and frustrated that he is not excelling in his classes in spite of the
classroom support. Since being and middle school student has struggled year
after year with trying to perform academically with his peers, his mainstream
peers, with very little success. They have to day in his math and science
classes he struggles with learning new concepts and scaffolding. ST may have a
valid point. Part of me feels that inclusion classes are
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good to address the
social issues among students however the academic issues remain. Do you modify
the curriculum to introduce academically challenged students to more vocational
learning and if you do what message do we send about going to college for those
students since going to college is the primary goal and many high school
students?
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Works Cited
Ryan, Allison, M. Helen
Patrick. The Classroom Social Environment and Changes in Adolesccent’
Motivation and Engagement During Middle School. (will
complete citing for final
Submission)
Student diversity
http://www.trulia.com/schools/NJ-South_Orange/South_Orange_Middle_School/
Gender:
http://www.greatschools.org/new-jersey/south-orange/1865-South-Orange-Middle-School/?tab=ratings
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