Fun Ways to Motivate Students to Achieve Goals

When it comes to a difficult task, it is hard to stay motivated!  Personally, I find it easier to motivate students to work hard at a common goal if they know what's in it for them.  Honestly, I have to set a personal reward so I work hard to achieve my goals.  While some may say that rewards-based incentives don't work, I say it builds discipline.  It makes the success so much sweeter when you know you can relish in your favorite episode of Real Housewives because you finished grading all the quizzes!  Click the image below to download this freebie for your classroom:

FREE WAYS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS

-extra recess

-pajama day

-no homework pass

-lights off learning

-competitive indoor games

-principal / announcements shout out

-student choice music playlist

-kahoot

LOW COST WAYS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS

-seasonal food related days (ex: National S'mores Day, Hot Cocoa, Lemonade, etc.)

-blow bubbles outside

-root beer floats

-teacher brings class snack

-Little Caesar's pizza party

-arts & crafts project

-donuts or donut holes for the class munchkins

-technology games (Heads Up - there is a free version also)

MATERIALS NEEDED TO CREATE YOUR "DONUT WORRY, WE GOT THIS!" TRACKER

(items below include affiliated links)

-brownie pan

-super magnets (if attaching pan to metal surface) or mounting tape (if attaching pan to other surfaces)

-magnetic tape (to attach to back of donuts & text)

-laminator & film (to preserve donuts & text)

Now that we have covered different ways to motivate your students to achieve goals, let's talk about how to track these goals.  You can use a system like filling up a small cake pan with magnetic donuts or brownies.  If you want the class to focus on role model behavior even when you are not around, then write it down and post this goal near the door to remind them. For example, the goal my class was working towards achieving was, "When given the option of being right or being kind, choose kind." in an attempt to promote responsibility and respect when interacting amidst differences in opinions.  This helped to minimize the class behavior issues my students were exhibiting in the form of petty arguments and squabbles after recess, specials or transitions.

Then, anytime the class receives a compliment from a special areas teacher, the principal, or a lunch duty aide for exceptional behavior, then a magnet can be placed in the pan!  Some teachers only require 12 to fill up the pan, but my class had to reach 15 to achieve their goal.  This visual tracker helps students notice how close or far they are from an incentive.  Also, another fun twist is making principal comments double the points, so they can earn twice the amount from an administrator!

As a class, we can keep track of goals using a tracker like the one below.  This is a sample page from my Student Goal Getter Data Binder kit.

Writing ONE WORD Visions to INSPIRE in the New Year!

Keep a simple resolution by choosing a one-word focus for the year!  It's a pretty simple concept really, just pick a word that helps you to achieve a certain goal (i.e. relax, family-time, fitness, unplugged, etc.)  For personal use, just write it out on a square sticky note and place it on your laptop or somewhere you'll see in your office.  Make it look nice by adding some artistic detail and relevant illustrations and/or doodles.

If you're a techie, type it up in a handwritten font and add images of your choice.  Why not set it as your desktop wallpaper?  Throughout the year, just silently visualizing or saying the word to yourself will help put it at the forefront of your mind, and I'm positive you'll be more motivated to achieve your goal!  Scroll down to see how my students were able to write one word visions for their New Year Resolutions!

 Here's a look at how a student vision square turned out:

To introduce this activity, we talked about how the beginning of each year is a time a lot of people think about what they want to do during the upcoming year.  Perhaps, they have goals they want to achieve.

Maybe, there's a certain action or hobby they want to improve at during the new year.
Or, like vision boards, maybe there's a desired travel destination to go during the new year!

After brainstorming a list of ideas together as a class and giving examples of how to narrow down a typical kid resolution.  For example, we determined that, "being nicer to my brother or sister" turned into a one word vision would be, "kindness."

In my class, I use an Instagram-themed bulletin board called Leadergram because I tie it in with the Habits for our Leadership classroom.  All the students received a square piece of computer paper.  My headline reads: "2017 vision words to help us 'Begin with the End in Mind!'" because it gives us a purpose on our year-long journey.

Then, I had my students use the sentence starter, "________'s word for 2017 is ________"

The one word vision was supposed to be larger than the rest of the words, bolded (so it would stand out) and then, I suggested they add pictures and/or color to decorate their square papers.

So what's my one word vision this year?  I chose organization!  I feel like I'm always saving binders but never have sat down to take the time to setup and organize all my binders. I can't wait to reduce all the clutter of papers I have through organization this year!  Here's to a more inspired and organized year!

Inspiring Leaders with Leadergram! (Leader in Me Bulletin Board)

Update 8-13-2016: I just made my Leadergram Bulletin Board resource available for download here.  It will be sure to add plenty of leadership swag to your class!

In addition to the Leadergram board set, you'll also be able to decorate with banners like me! 

* Original Post * 

 This is my 4th year teaching at a Leader in Me school.  Yet, this was the first year I've really embraced and explicitly taught Habit 8: Find Your Voice, and Inspire Others to Find Theirs.

While working on growing students' inner voices, I had an epiphany to connect our study of "Leaders of Change" with student artwork and/or photos displayed in an Instagram-style.   POOF!  Leadergram was born!!

 To prep, all I did was gather tagboard (the only cardstock I had on hand in the classroom) and then I cut them into squares.  Since my tagboard was only 9 inches wide, I had to cut 4.5x4.5 squares.

 Next, I posed the question to students:  What do you think "Leaders of Change" look like?  I emphasized there is no one "right" or "wrong" response because our earlier discussions have solidified the idea that anyone can be a leader.

 Some students drew ordinary kids helping out.  The student above connected to the text we're currently reading, The Hope Chest.  This story focuses on the issue of women not having an equal right to vote in America until 1920, so my artistically-talented student drew a Suffragist in action.

 Others took a traditional approach and represented an American hero as a "Leader of Change!"  Two weeks later, the students and I were ready to update our Leadergram board with a new post.  This time they had to illustrate a motivational quote that would inspire them to become a "Leader of Change."

 First, we watched a couple of Kid President videos calling the world into action.  Kid President is hilarious and my class just loves him! Then, we brainstormed a list of quotes that sparked a desire to make a positive change.  I shared how Mahatma Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you wish to see in this world," really resonated with me because it puts the purpose of life in perspective for me.

For our second post, I experimented with lined notebook paper because I find drawings made by children look really endearing on lined paper for whatever reason.  And I figured, lines couldn't hurt if they would need to write inspirational quotes, anyway!.

Leadership Notebooks (Starter Kit)

2021 update - download available as a bonus file within the Goal Getter Student Data Binder

When I first started teaching at a Leader in Me school, students used Data Binders to track their academic and behavioral progress.  That was seven years ago!  Now, Leadership Notebooks have replaced Data Binders and I think I've finally wrapped my brain around how they are different.

Frequency of Use
Data Binders were basically kept at school and just shared with families during conferences as the students led their parents through their graphs and tests that reflected their quarterly grades.  Now, Leadership Notebooks are intended to go back and forth between home and school and give a more holistic picture of the child's development.  No longer just seen during student-led conferences.

Five Sections = 5 Tab Dividers
Pictures are more powerful than words so have a look at how my Leadership Notebook product may help you implement this progress documentation and home-school communication tool below!

As of the 2017-2018 school year, I have changed Tab 2 to be called 'My W.I.G.s' and we keep all of our academic & personal goals and scoreboards to track progress in there.

As of the 2017-2018 school year, Tab 4 is now called 'My Leadership' and students keep their habits self-assessments in there along with the Habits Overview page and reflective writing assignments.

Often, I have students tuck their final copy of a graded writing assignment in the MY VICTORIES section because it typically demonstrates quality work and can be referred to during conferences as a lengthier writing piece sample.  From time to time, students also did a quick write-up explaining the successful outcome of one of their WIGs and placed it in this section! Honestly, this section is probably the one that gets the most neglect in my classroom... #ALLtheTHINGS

Hopefully these tips will help you on your journey toward implementing Leadership Notebooks in your classroom!