Mike’s Blog
Strategies, Ideas and Insights for Teachers and Leaders
Tag: motivation
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Understanding Learners – Part 1
This blog is Part 1 of 3. Here’s a link to Part 2. And here’s a link to Part 3. My aim is to help you think critically about the…
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What is the round table classroom discussion strategy, how does it work, and how can you use it to motivate your learners?
Round Table Discussion Strategy: Explanation Round Table is an unstructured discussion activity in which learners take the lead. In terms of numbers, I’d suggest the following: The deciding factor will…
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How to use stimulus material to create discussions your learners can’t help but engage with
There are many different ways to begin a classroom discussion. The most common is to present learners with a question or statement related to the topic. There is also the…
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The two key drivers of all human behaviour you need to understand when managing the behaviour of your learners
One way to think about the causes of behaviour is to talk in terms of motives. These are the internal factors that drive our behaviour. When we say we are…
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How you can use starter activities to get the behaviour you want from the moment the lesson begins
Different types of starter activities serve different ends when it comes to managing behaviour. Thinking about this when planning your lessons can help you to plan for excellent behaviour. Here…
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Two powerful strategies any teacher can use to change how they use praise in their classroom
Praise Hunts Unfortunately, some learners go through much of their school career without ever receiving praise. This is a great shame, not least on the level of what we would…
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How effective behaviour managers use silent praise to build rapport
Written praise is used less frequently than verbal praise, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook it. When using written praise, bear in mind that it brings all the benefits…
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Six surefire ways you can use the power of language to eliminate low-level disruption
There are lots of language tools any teacher can use to help eliminate low-level disruption. Here are four to get you started: Talking in terms of ‘we’ Doing this helps…
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Understand why learner engagement is essential to all behaviour management
When it comes to creating engagement, we are talking about ways in which you can bind learners into your lessons, making them feel a part of what is going on…
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Two ways you can leverage human psychology to create intrinsic motivation in your lessons
Problem-Solving Problem-solving is inherently meaningful because it rests on the existence of a clearly defined purpose. Put another way, problems need solving. Trying to solve a problem is the purpose…