© 2012 Stephen Dann, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio

I’m a big advocate of intrinsic motivation in classroom management and a big opponent of the extrinsic kind, but I’ve always said in this blog and in my books that extrinsic motivation does have a place in the real world of our classrooms. The key is that it has to be kept in its place, too.

Often, part of keeping it in its place is being strategic about how it’s introduced and having an “exit plan” to get away from it.

Here’s an example of how I’m using the extrinsic kind of motivation in my classroom these days.

“John” is a great kid and wants to do the “right” thing, and he’s easily distracted. His distraction can be quite disruptive in class. I had tried just about every intrinsic tool in my tool box (see My Best Posts On “Motivating” Students), and nothing had worked.

One day awhile back, I pulled him out of one of his classes during my free period to chat. We discussed how easily he was distracted by others and, how other students knew they could easily get a reaction from him. It turned into a very productive conversation about “Why Do You Let Others Control You?”

From the very beginnings of our conversations about the issue earlier in the year, he’s been clear that he wanted to change, but nothing had worked. However, this “take” on being controlled by others seemed to really hit a chord, and he seemed particularly motivated to turn things around that day.

I proposed that we put a “post-it” on his desk each day, and that every time he didn’t react to someone trying to provoke him he would put a mark on it. He would receive ten extra credit points for each mark. It would be an honor system — I wouldn’t ask him what he did to “earn” each mark. He would turn it in at the end of each class and receive his extra credit. We discussed, though, how this wasn’t going to be a long term solution. Instead, it would a “bridge” to help him develop his self-control and to become more aware of his actions and, if it worked well, in a few weeks we’d stop it.

He was very enthusiastic.

The experiment has been going on for a couple of weeks, and has been remarkably successful so far. Even though he is not required to tell me what he’s done to “earn” his extra credit points, he pulls me over one-to-four times during each class period to quickly tell me about what provocations he’s recently resisted. His classroom behavior, though not perfect, is now more like that of a typical ninth-grade student. When he regresses, I just say his name and tap his desk or do one or the other, and he immediately says something like “Oh yeah” and stops the targeted behavior. I periodically ask him how he’s feeling about how he’s been handling himself, and it’s clear that he’s proud of his change.

My plan is to continue the experiment for a couple of more weeks, and then initiate a discussion with him about moving off the point system. My hope is, that like other times when I’ve used extrinsic motivators for classroom management, he’ll welcome that recognition that he’s become a more mature young man in control of his emotions and surroundings.

We’ll see. I’ll keep readers posted.

And, of course, I’m always eager to hear reactions and suggestions on how I can more effectively handle this situation.

I’m adding this post, perhaps prematurely, to The Best Posts On Classroom Management.

© 2006 Chris Gladis, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

I write about positive classroom management strategies a lot (see The Best Posts On Classroom Management) and I’m always learning through everyday challenges.

One student this year is a great kid who is very energetic and can get distracted and somewhat disruptive at times. We’ve talked and experimented a lot, and have found that when he reaches that point, his going outside — to get a drink, got the restroom, or just walk for a minute or two — helps him get some energy out of his system and then is focused when he returns.

Now, we’re at the point where I’d like him to develop more of his own self-control (see The Best Posts About Helping Students Develop Their Capacity For Self-Control) so that he doesn’t wait for me to send him out. Instead, he begins to see the warning signs and goes out on his own (after giving me a subtle sign that he’s headed out).

Yesterday, we started talking about it at lunchtime and, after a few seconds, an excited look of understanding came on his face and exclaimed, “Oh, I get it! If you send me out, then I’m being bad; if I send me out, then I’m being good!”

We spoke a little more about how it’s a little more nuanced than good/bad, but that basically, yes, he got it. During class a half-hour later, he was beginning to get distracted and pointed outside. I nodded, he went out, returned a minute later, and was great the rest of the class.

One day does not a solution make but, perhaps, with a daily reminder at the beginning of class, this might work…

More Teachers Adopting Restorative Discipline Practices is the title of an NEA Today story that unexpectedly features my classroom practice.

I had a short email interaction with the writer over the summer, but hadn’t thought much would come of it.

You might find it interesting.

I’m adding it to The Best Posts On Classroom Management.

Apparently, long ago when, for awhile, I moderated a classroom management forum at Edutopia, I invited readers to share their best classroom management tips.

Well, Edutopia just put them all together in a a nice slideshow that I think readers will find useful.

I’m adding it to The Best Posts On Classroom Management.

© 1944 National Library of Australia, Flickr | PD | via Wylio

If a student an I are having a bad day — a fortunately rare coincidence, but one that nevertheless still happens — sometimes our conversation can denigrate into one that is not helpful to anyone.

Marvin Marshall, who writes a lot about positive classroom management techniques, offers some good advice in that situation:

The Person Who Asks The Questions Controls The Conversation

In other words, if the conversation is going south, asking a question could be one way to get it on track again — “What do you think we should do about this situation?”; “What do you think would help fix this problem?”; “How is what is happening now contributing to any goal you have for the future?”; “How could we deal with this situation in a way that would help you achieve a goal you want for the future?”

Obviously, students can offer retorts that are not constructive to any of those questions, too, but the strategy is worth keeping in mind.

As is other advice Marvin has offered, which I think is the best classroom management guidance I’ve ever heard:

Will what I am about to do or say bring me closer or will it push me away farther from the person with whom I am communicating?

Do you have any good one-sentence classroom management advice that’s good and easy for teachers to remember?

I’m adding this post to The Best Posts On Classroom Management.