Motivation and learning: practical teaching tips for block schedules, brain-based learning, multiple intelligences, improved student motivation, increased achievement.

An Annotation by Laurie Walsh

Divided into seven main chapters:

• student motivation,
• enhancing motivation and commitment to quality,
• making teaching easier,
• building knowledge and understanding,
• collaborative groups,
• self-reflection and assessment prompts, and
• exciting projects, products, and performance ideas,

this book is extremely practical.

The authors base their beliefs on two principles for educators:

1. operate from understanding and
2. manage context – not students.

They believe that students must feel the learning is

• valuable,
• safe,
• involving,
• caring,
• successful and
• enabling

in order to maximize student motivation.

Chapters 2 through 7 contain a myriad of quick tips, activities, checklists, and forms for teachers to use with students.  Each activity includes a purpose, description, use, and procedure section.  It also includes the grade level, time, special materials, motivational standards and pluses list.

Rogers, S., Ludington, J. & Graham, S.  (1998).  Motivation and learning: practical teaching tips for block schedules, brain-based learning, multiple intelligences, improved student motivation, increased achievement.  Evergreen, Colorado: Peak Learning Systems, Inc.