tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969286068796321017.post8395317687666970577..comments2014-05-16T15:55:23.960-05:00Comments on Making It Real in Middle School: Student MotivationKathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911174617988731074noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969286068796321017.post-65586721870622108452014-01-29T21:45:27.241-06:002014-01-29T21:45:27.241-06:00I have tried it all. I find that the drills do no...I have tried it all. I find that the drills do nothing for motivation and even if they are completed, the students don't remember anything after a day or two. I actually keep my classroom pretty structured, but my students are setting their own goals so they know if they are making progress. I give constant feedback without the drills. We do quite a bit of turn and talk and while they are discussing I am making my way around the room and listening, commenting where necessary and making notes on my clipboard. I have a sheet with each child's name and I can note if they are understanding or not and I can quickly correct any misunderstandings right there. This is my first time trying this and I have some kinks to work out, but I definitely think this way of assessing my students is better than just taking a bunch of grades and averaging. I am blessed to have a very supportive principal as I work all this out!Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07911174617988731074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969286068796321017.post-59725393410103900802014-01-19T09:58:14.696-06:002014-01-19T09:58:14.696-06:00You sound exactly like me last year when I was wor...You sound exactly like me last year when I was working in the charter school in Louisiana. The 3P system, from my understanding, works best in a workshop style classroom. It gives you the opportunity to meet with individuals or small groups while the rest of the class is independently improving their own writing/reading because they want to prove to you that they are growing in order to validate their grades. Some students just don't do well with this kind of unstructured environment. I was actually told by my administration that I SHOULD be doing skill drills and such because the kids like to be able to complete tasks and get immediate feedback. I know it's not best practice, but have you tried any of that at all?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118204814132341267noreply@blogger.com