Tackling the Motivation Crisis: How to Activate Student Learning Without Behavior Charts, Pizza Parties, or Other Hard-to-Quit Incentive Systems

by Mike Anderson

Packed with practical strategies you can use to create a culture of self-motivation in your school! Teachers use traditional incentive and reward systems with the best of intentions. We're trying to support students' positive behavior and learning. We're hoping to motivate and inspire students to work hard and do well in school. If everyone behaves, we'll have a pizza party. The more books you read, the more stickers you'll receive. On the surface, these systems seem to make sense. They may even seem to work. But in the long term, they do not foster intrinsic motivation or a love of learning. In fact, they often have the opposite effect. In Tackling the Motivation How to Activate Student Learning Without Behavior Charts, Pizza Parties, or Other Hard-to-Quit Incentive Systems, award-winning educator and best-selling author Mike Anderson explains

* The damage done by extrinsic motivation systems and why they are so hard for us to give up.
* What intrinsic motivation looks like and the six high-impact motivators—autonomy, belonging, competence, purpose, fun, and curiosity—that foster it.
* How to teach the self-management and self-motivation skills that can make a difference for kids.
* How to use intrinsic motivation in curricula and instructional strategies, feedback and assessment, and discipline and classroom management. Ultimately, our job as teachers is not to motivate our students. It's to make sure that our classrooms and schools are places that inspire their intrinsic motivation and allow it to flourish. Anderson shows how you can better do that right away—no matter what grade level or subject area you teach.

Genres: Education, Professional Development, Nonfiction

166 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2021

Reviews

[Justin Musselman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took a comprehensive look at how extrinsic and intrinsic motivation affects students. He gives helpful ways to transition from using rewards and token systems to using intrinsic ways of motivating students.

He also talks about how students need to feel a connection to the rules and procedures that are happening. We need to allow some space for students to share their voice while not giving them complete autonomy over rules.

I am excited to see how I can apply some of these principles and concepts to my classroom this year!

[Ken Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought Provoking

Making me rethink some of the pieces we have put in place to help motivate students that are tied to rewards. The most thought provoking idea centers around the fact that the pandemic changed how students viewed school. No longer do they view it as so,etching they are locked into. As educators we need to move beyond having compliant students to and look at creating thoughtful and engaged students. This book is a good starting place for that discussion.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes the point concisely. Offers examples and practical ideas. Encouraging.

I do believe the current motivation crisis is heavily influenced by factors that teachers do not and cannot control (outside of the classroom.) Because this book really only discusses strategies for classroom teachers, I do think its title may be a slight overstatement.

[Lisa Keuss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intrinsic motivators are clearly spelled out, and a teacher can reasonably implement these practices into the learning. Also sends a strong message that kids need to be taught the skills of self-motivation through real work rather than through canned lessons.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was anti-PBIS, pro-getting rid of grades and giving student choices in learning. A lot of it seemed like common sense, but not all of it seemed applicable to real world settings.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine. Nothing earth shattering. I would have liked some more specifics- especially when dealing with especially difficult students.

[Stephanie Genco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every educator & parent should read this

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geared more towards elementary school classrooms. A lot of theory without much in the way of practical application, but a good reminder about the value of intrinsic motivation.

[Caitlin Gloege · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Basic. At times thought provoking about what can be done within the classroom, but also makes suggestions that can't realistically be implemented.

[Arthur Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

every teacher and admin should read!

We have to connect to this new generation of students! They didn’t grow up watching Mr Rogers- we need to ‘teach’ intrinsic motivation and that ‘good feeling’ of accomplishment and kindness. This book gives concrete examples of how to start. Read it!

[Addie Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of how and why to shift away from extrinsic motivators in the classroom.