3keys to success in education

Remember that incentives (a carrot at the end of a stick)  only works in very focused situations.  So if we want to get away from incentives... we can look at  Pink's 3 success keys.

There are 3 keys to success according to Daniel PINK:
- AUTONOMY
  :  how do I make my students be autonomous?
-MASTERY: 
   do I  present enough opportunities for  practice to my students ?
-PURPOSE:
   purpose means making something become meaningful!  Trickiest of all 3 keys... because what is meaningful for you is not always meaningful for X and Y...

Daniel PINK: what is DRIVING us? check this!

Success is attainable  this way:  This is by the way- proven scientifically!
1. DELIBERATE practice
2. Repeat, repeat, repeat...
3. Seek critical constant feedback
4. Focus rhuthlessly on WHERE you need help.
5. Prepare for the process to be mentally exhausting.

Watch this! 

What are the elements in my classroom that keep my students engaged?

What is it that practically speaking.... keep my students involved in what they are  doing?

  - 1. Goals:   each student has a personal goal  sheet they fill out on Mondays during advisory.  Class by class they create a short term goal and  indicate 2 ways to get to that goal.
IDEA:  if on Mondays, kids know what they will be taught about...  maybe they can incorporate the teacher's goal into their own goals? 
As a teacher:  I write my goal (objective) for each class I teach. 

2. Criteria for Success:   I need to provide my students with criteria for success.  They need to know how to become better at what they are doing and what is expected of them.  This includes rubrics, verbal explanations  and so on... Visuals are important to make them understand at what level  they need to be at.

3. Ongoing evaluations:  students and teachers need to engage into short discussions to  figure out the progress made, to  discuss  what goes well and what does not...  This can be done  during closure a nd should be done about half way through the lesson.

What drives a student to remain engaged in a SELF DIRECTED activity?

I believe that what drives a student is his emotions..  I believe that you get involved when the task you are doing becomes meaningful to you, not only at the intellectual level but also at the emotional level.   If I look at the elements that need to be in place in my classroom  for this 'engagement' to take place, I need to:
1. listen to my students:  who are they, what are they saying?  what are they interested in?  How do they feel about what?
2.  relate to their world using  my imagination as a teacher.  I need to CREATE CONNECTIONS.

3. Finally I need to give them a choice, make them OWN their project.

My teaching journey

Hello!

I started teaching in 1982 in a private school  in the northern part of Brussels.  I quickly moved to the Antwerp International School the next year of my career nd I have been teaching in English every since.   After working for two years as a teacher assistant at the University of MN,  I moved to the  Vail Valley and have worked both at the Vail Mountain School and at the Eagle County school District.


My philosophy  about teaching language can be summarized  with the word EXPERIENCE.
I want to provide my students with experiences  that include  movement, music, props, games, simulation and most of all EMOTION.  All research points to the fact that emotion is  key to learning.