Motivating Students: 25 Strategies to Light the Fire of Engagement is a practical, hands-on guide to help teachers get all students excited about learning. Authors Carolyn Chapman and Nicole Vagle realize the importance of motivation in the classroom and the repercussions when students are unmotivated and unengaged. Their motivational framework, five core areas to light the fire of engagement in every classroom, structures the chapters: build a classroom learning community, describe and plan learning, find adventure, promote choice and control, and ensure learning. Chapter 1 lays the groundwork by defining motivation, exploring the research, explaining influential factors, describing common unmotivated learners, and providing a self-assessment for teachers to reflect on their current motivational practice. Chapters 2 through 6 the book s foundation discuss in detail each aspect of the motivation framework and outline twenty-five strategies to employ based on the root causes of particular unmotivated behaviors. The authors describe each strategy, identify tips and traps to be aware of during planning and implementation, and provide detailed, specific activities to put the strategy into practice. They explore how to create a classroom community with diverse and challenging learning opportunities so each student is motivated to succeed. Not only do students learn through challenging, appealing, and rewarding experiences, but they also continue trying when they can see where they are going and how to get there. Effective motivation creates an internal desire to grow academically, cognitively, and emotionally. Finally, chapter 7 looks at the big picture and explores how teachers, administrators, school staff, parents, and others contribute to student motivation. The authors answer some of the most frequently asked questions about motivation and engagement, including suggestions for common problems. Each chapter closes with a campfire talk, in which key questions guide the reader in professional learning conversations with colleagues; these talks can be used by individual readers or through group professional development. Motivating Students also includes an abundance of reproducibles to help teachers implement the strategies.
