In The Will to Learn: How to Cultivate Student Motivation Without Losing Your Own, I lay out an approach to student motivation in which Five Key Beliefs can be influenced using just 10 basic strategies.
The first of those strategies is Tracking Attempted Moments of Genuine Connection.
- A moment of genuine connection (MGC) is simple: 30 to 60 seconds in which I, as the teacher, attempt to communicate to a student that I value, know, and/or respect them.
- Moment: It can have its effect even if it is very brief — just 30 to 60 seconds.
- Genuine: I need to genuinely value, know, and respect the student in order for this to work. I also try to make it as private as I can, so I seek to do these one-on-one either as students are entering class, during independent work portions of class, or as students are leaving. To help with privacy, I tend to pull them aside within the room or just into the hallway.
- Connection: It's me trying to indicate to them that I VALUE them, KNOW them, and RESPECT them, as both learners and as people.
- Because I cannot guarantee that a student will feel valued, known, or respected, I use the word “attempted.” It is not within my power to guarantee results. It is my job to attempt the connection.
- Because I cannot possibly mentally keep track of attempting MGCs with 100+ students each semester, I keep track of these on a printed out roster that I keep on a clipboard.
That's it — Tracking. Attempted. Moments. Of Genuine. Connection.
Common questions about moments of genuine connection
How frequently should I do these?
At a minimum, I seek to attempt an MGC with every student I teach at least once per month. To help with this, at the start of each month, I write the month at the top of the printed roster, and I review the previous month's tracker sheet.
What should I write on the printed roster?
At a minimum, I put a check mark next to a student's name when I attempt an MGC. Often times, I may write a few words to indicate what I did with the student.
Do you have a printable roster template that I can copy/paste my students' names into?
Sure do. You'll find that in this brief article.
What are examples of what an MGC attempt looks like?
Here are some real-life examples from my classroom:
Notice that I tend to think of these in two categories: connecting with the student as a PERSON and connecting with them as a LEARNER. In order to optimize the degree to which my students find me Credible, I need to connect with them in both of these ways. If I only connect with them as a person, they may come to believe that I'm a caring person but not a capable teacher. If I only connect with them as a learner, they may come to believe that I only care about their work in my class and not about them as a person overall.
What do you mean, specifically, by signaling to a student that I value, know, and respect them?
Here is a brief article where I address the specifics of valued, known, and respected.
What if my MGC attempts are awkward?
Here is a brief article where I address this common problem.
Also, here is a brief video on the topic.
What if I don't currently have a good relationship with a student? Or, what if I just don't like them?
Here is a brief article where I address this common problem.
What if I can't think of what to say to my students?
When I'm not sure what to say to a student for an MGC, I ask them a question. Questions posed with curiosity and eye contact are a fine method for indicating to someone that you value them, that you want to know them, and that you respect them.
Let's look at some prompts.
Prompt questions for each month of the school year
When I'm stuck for how to start an MGC with a student, I just ask them a question. Here are some that I've asked before:
September MGC Prompts
- “What was a highlight of your summer?”
- “What are you most looking forward to this school year?”
- “Do you have any hobbies or interests you’d like to share?”
- “How can I best support you this year?”
October MGC Prompts
- “Have you picked a Halloween costume? What is it?”
- “What’s your favorite fall activity?”
- “What subjects do you find most interesting so far?”
- “Is there anything you’re finding challenging?”
November MGC Prompts
- “Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions?”
- “What are you thankful for this year?”
- “How do you usually spend your weekends?”
- “What’s something new you’ve learned recently?”
December MGC Prompts
- “Do you celebrate any holidays in December?”
- “What’s your favorite holiday movie?”
- “How do you prepare for exams?”
- “What’s a fun fact about yourself?”
January MGC Prompts
- “Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?”
- “How did you spend your winter break?”
- “What goals do you have for this semester?”
- “Is there a book or movie you’d recommend?”
February MGC Prompts
- “Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? How?”
- “What’s something you love doing?”
- “Who’s someone you look up to?”
- “What’s a subject you enjoy and why?”
March MGC Prompts
- “Do you have any spring break plans?”
- “What’s your favorite thing about spring?”
- “How do you stay motivated during the school year?”
- “What’s a project you’re proud of?”
April MGC Prompts
- “How do you usually spend your weekends?”
- “What’s a new hobby you’d like to try?”
- “How do you manage stress?”
- “What’s something you’re excited about right now?”
May MGC Prompts
- “What’s your favorite memory from this school year?”
- “What are your summer plans?”
- “How do you stay organized?”
- “What’s a goal you have for next year?”
June MGC Prompts
- “What’s your favorite thing to do during the summer?”
- “What’s a skill you’d like to improve?”
- “How do you reflect on your achievements?”
- “What advice would you give to incoming students?”
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