Priming kids to expect rewards for good behavior can harm their social skills in the long term.

Read the full article at: www.theatlantic.com

Sticker charts remain one of the most popular tools for motivating children. There is clear evidence that sticker charts work to promote specific behaviors, but they can also create unintended and dangerous consequences.

 

Once children are conditioned to receive something, in this case stickers for their “good” behavior, a long-term expectation is set.  When we ask a child to do something, a typical response is “what will you give me?”  Is this what you really want to hear?

Teen drama is the natural disconnect in socially and emotionally developing brains. Help them by honoring (not judging) their experience, teaching social skills, and encouraging reflection.

Read the full article at: www.edutopia.org

We normally promote articles about motivation, so this may seem a bit out of the norm.  However, in order to motivate a child, or anyone for that matter, we must first understand them.

 

Some may argue that teenagers are impossible to understand.  But quite the contrary – many characteristics shared by teens are quite similar and thus easy to understand when put in the proper context.

 

Once we understand what drives a teen, how should we respond? Read on!

We’re raising our girls to be perfect, and we’re raising our boys to be brave, says Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code.

Read the full article at: www.ted.com

Here is another piece that is a bit of a departure from what we typically would recommend as its focus is not purely on motivation.  That said, it seems like it would be of interest to our audience, and given the large number of views, it is clearly popular.

 

The gist – why are we teaching girls to be perfect and boys to be brave?

Although some may regard art education as a luxury, simple creative activities are some of the building blocks of child development. Learn more about the developmental benefits of art.

Read the full article at: www.pbs.org

Here is another article that deviates from one of our typical selections. But with over 12,000 reads, we thought this would be popular with our readership.

 

The focus – the importance of art in developing children’s skills. Read on to learn how art can help develop motor skills, language delevlopment, and even decision making ability.

Our goodhearted support prioritizes athleticism more than we think.

Read the full article at: www.christianitytoday.com

We often share articles about what parents and educators should do to support children. This time we picked an article with a different approach.  Instead of tips for how we should act to support them, this piece reflects on our bad habits.  We all like to live through our children, that’s part of life. But many of us go too far.

Understanding what a child’s brain needs is central to instruction.

Read the full article at: ww2.kqed.org

Let’s face it, no one likes a boring classroom.  So as educators, what can we do to improve the experience for our younger students, and at the same time, ensure they are optimizing their learning potential?

 

It starts by recognizing that kid’s attention spans are not very long, and at a minimum, we must recognize that children need to be engaged to learn.

 

These tips from long-time educator Kathy Perez provide  wonderful strategies you can try in the classroom.

“In some cases, children are offered rewards not only for mundane tasks like tooth-brushing, but also for what social scientists call pro-social behavior…”

Read the full article at: www.intellectualtakeout.org

You might be surprised that a trophy company would share this article with you.  After all, we are in the business of selling trophies and awards. This doesn’t mean, though, that we view over-rewarding children as a good thing.

 

In fact, we very much believe that every situation is different, particularly as kids get older, and that children should not be rewarded for good behavior, except for things beyond the norm.

 

According to this author, “Children come to expect a reward for good behavior and are hesitant to ‘give it away for free’…”.

Inspired by his colleagues, one teacher learned to differentiate instruction, foster a flexible learning environment, avoid harshly penalizing failure, and encourage problem solving and innovation.

Read the full article at: www.edutopia.org

We are all students and can all learn from one another. So what did David Cutler, a high school teacher from Boston, learn from the teachers who inspired him in his youth?

 

It starts with situational teaching and an understanding that students all have different needs. What other lessons did David take with him over the years?  Read on…

A great teacher can change the trajectory of your life. Here, talks from teachers you’ll wish you had.

Read the full article at: www.ted.com

Teachers make a difference.  They change lives.  Here is a wonderful selection of TED Talks from a diverse group of teachers who have one incredible thing in common – they inspire others.  Don’t miss any of these 10 inspirational videos.

RT @edutopia: 16 timeless quotes sure to resonate with EVERY age: https://t.co/owEtp5V7tw. #litchat #literature https://t.co/bdBSBMasn4…

Read the full article at: www.edutopia.org

Whether you are trying to inspire middle school students or high schoolers, these quotes are sure to do the trick.  We all know it is difficult to get some children to read, but kids are sure to relate to these simple but important messages.