Personal Learning action Plan

TE 866 - UNK - Fall 2018

Motivating Students

• Provide Choices
• Use Technology
• Have Fun!

1. Choice
By offering choices in the projects I assign, I hope to foster more creativity and inspiration for reading.

“When students help design their own projects, have input and choice in the topic, and are encouraged to ask their own questions as they investigate, they are more willing and interested - and they may learn more, too” (Crow, 2007, p.50).

2. Technology
I am always looking for ways to incorporate technology into my lesson plans to motivate the students. In the subject of reading, this is a little difficult. However, I do think the kids enjoy it when I can add some variety to class.

"Teachers infuse technology into the classroom most successfully when they find new ways to enhance current practices, leveraging technology's ability to help them connect, collaborate, and enrich" (Gullen, 2013, p. 66).

#3 Fun
After attending Kagan Cooperative Learning workshops this summer, I am trying to incorporate fun brain breaks into the classroom. This helps build relationships between the students and myself as well as among the students.
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"Learning can be serious business and at times requires hard work, but opportunities for fun, plan, and humor will lessen stress and anxiety and increase students' sense of bonding" (Educational Research Service, 2004, p. 6).

Maintaining my Motivation

• Continue Education
• Build Peer Relationships
• Positive Attitude

1. Continuing Education
I will continue to look for ways to improve my teaching. Whether it be from a college class or a workshop, this will keep me informed on the latest teaching methods and strategies.

Two of the factors of great teachers listed by Patrick Bassett are:
1. They experiment with teaching and the emerging technologies that support it, relishing in being the 'fast horses' out of the gate in an effort to innovate ways that improve their teaching and their students' learning.
2. They seek to stay current with the research in the field as it relates to age group taught.
(Bassett, 2013, p. 9)

2. Build Peer Relationships
My goal is to continue to building relationships with my fellow teachers. They can be an invaluable resource when working with students. Sometimes I just need to vent, and sometimes I'm looking for suggestions. Collaborating about a situation is usually better than facing it alone.

Nieto's advice for novice teachers is to make a friend. She states that teaching can be an incredibly lonely profession, and when teachers develop allies, they remain fresh, committed , and helpful (Nieto, 2009, p. 12).

3. Positive Attitude
When things get tough, I need to remind myself why I'm a teacher....
to make a difference in the life of a child.

"A teacher who loves seeing students grow and develop will likely be more satisfied than a teacher who doesn't feel that kind of love" (Latham, 1998, p. 83).

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