Be the Spark Transcript - Sanford Inspire€¦ · Transcript: Another question has to do with...

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Copyright © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents, All rights reserved SanfordInspireProgram.org

For a complete list of references, refer to the On-Demand Module Be the Spark: Nurturing Student Inspiration.

Be the Spark

Transcript

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

Transcript:

Trying to inspire someone is a lot like trying to make someone happy, or trying to make someone fall in love with you: the harder you try, the less likely you are to be successful (Thrash et al., 2014).

At the same time, inspiration is really important to the educational process (Musser et al., 2013). Whenever a student - at any level - is motivated to work toward a goal or achieve some outcome, it’s usually because, somewhere along the line, they were inspired.

So how can we resolve this tension? How can we promote inspiration while knowing that we can’t make someone be inspired?

In this module, we’re going to identify research-based strategies you can use to create a classroom

environment that fosters and nurtures student inspiration.

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How to Be Inspirational

Transcript:

To help inspire your students, it’s important to do three things:

Understand what inspiration is, as well as what it’s not.

Create a classroom environment in which inspiration can occur.

And finally, recognize and nurture inspiration when it happens.

Let’s explore each of these things a little more deeply.

Chapter 2: What is Inspiration?

Defining Inspiration

Transcript:

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First, let’s get clear on the definition of inspiration. Inspiration is a psychological process in which an individual becomes aware of new ideas, qualities, or possibilities, and is motivated to act upon them in some way (Thrash & Elliot, 2003, 2004; Thrash et al., 2010).

You can think of this process as having two parts: an individual becomes inspired by something, and as a result, becomes inspired to do something (Thrash & Elliot, 2003, 2004).

Examples

Transcript:

Let’s begin to build an idea of how inspiration might play out in schools and classrooms. Click the buttons

onscreen to see some examples of students being inspired by, and being inspired to.

Top Student

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Middle Student

Bottom Student

A Psychological Process

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Transcript:

It’s important to understand how inspiration is connected to motivation since the terms are closely connected, yet distinct.

Researchers in the field of human psychology have suggested that inspiration is a three-part process whose final outcome is the motivation to take some action.

Read the definitions onscreen to see how the three components of inspiration work together. Then, move on to the next chapter to begin learning how you can inspire your students.

5. Chapter 3: Igniting the Spark

Caring Teachers

Transcript:

So, how can you create a classroom environment that is conducive to inspiration?

The first, and maybe most important, thing to do is develop caring relationships with students. Multiple studies have found that one of the most important factors affecting students’ motivation is the perception that their teachers care about them (Madhlangobe & Gordon, 2012; Murray & Pianta, 2007; Pianta et al., 2003; Wentzel,

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1997, 1998; Wentzel et al., 2010).

How can teachers demonstrate caring? Here is what students say caring teachers do…

(On-screen):

Student 1: He listens to me.

Student 2: He recognizes my individuality.

Student 3: He pays attention to my emotions.

Student 4: He offers help and support.

Student 5: He makes me feel valued.

The Classroom Environment

Transcript:

Caring relationships are often the catalyst for inspiration. A 2010 study examined the characteristics of leaders in various roles who were described as “inspiring” by the people with whom they worked and interacted. The authors found that the leaders who were most inspiring were those who made strong interpersonal connections with others, and were invested in helping them reach their potential (Searle & Hanrahan, 2011).

We asked a group of students to describe what they liked about their favorite teacher. Click to hear their responses, and listen for the ways their descriptions connect to the concepts of caring, and inspiration.

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Elementary Video

What I like the most about my teacher is she’s very helpful, and when you struggle she goes back and teaches you what you struggled with.

What I like most about my teacher is that she helps me whenever I need help and she’s been always there for

me.

The thing I like most about my teacher is that she has a lot of discipline. She always pushes us to do our best.

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Secondary Video

The thing I like most about my teachers are they’re always there for me. They always listen to me. Anytime I have a problem I can always count on them.

What I like most about my teachers is that they really help me understand something, and if you don’t understand it, they’ll make sure that you do, and they’ll make sure you get what’s going on in class.

What I like most about my teachers is they support students to achieve their goals, and whenever students need help they’re there to guide them through troubles and difficulties.

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Relevance and Rigor

Transcript:

Students are far more likely to be inspired by what happens in your class if they find it relevant to their lives, concerns, and interests.

Make your class interesting! Use humor, discussion, debate, engaging texts, and novel activities (Wentzel, 1997). Create learning experiences that challenge pre-existing assumptions and introduce new perspectives (Merriam, 2004; Kitchenham, 2008).

Inspiration happens when a student becomes aware of new ideas that he or she is compelled to do something with. In order for these ideas to occur, it’s essential to ensure that the content and activities that take place in class are appropriately rigorous (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Schweinle & Bjornestad, 2008).

Here, now, is a veteran teacher and teacher educator explaining what this level of rigor looks like.

Video

Transcript:

Rigor doesn’t mean “hard.” It means “complex.” And if I think about this, we can all say there are things in our

life that we do that are not very complex, but are very difficult. They take a lot of hard work. They take a lot of

muscle and a lot of sweat, but it’s not complex. When we think about rigor, it’s about complexity. How hard are

you making kids work with their brains? How much are you really pumping the muscle in your neurons? How

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much are you really stretching your imagination and stretching your brain? If we think about rigor that way, it

forces us to say, “Well, what’s already in your brain?” What’s already located in those muscles that I can build

from and that I can build off of?

Encouragement and Role Models

Transcript:

The final two ways to create an inspiring classroom are to provide authentic encouragement, and be a role model.

Giving someone encouragement can be really, really powerful (Figgins et al., 2016). Research has shown that teachers’ expectations of their students and their encouragement to give their best effort exerts a huge influence on their motivation in school (Hammond, 2015; Wentzel, 1997, 1998; Wentzel et al., 2010).

When it comes to being a role model, all that means is demonstrating the behaviors and mindsets you’re trying to foster in students. Qualities like kindness, caring, curiosity, perseverance, and open-mindedness are all more powerful - and potentially inspirational - if they’re demonstrated rather than merely talked about (Thrash et al., 2014).

Show excitement for your content, and for teaching. If you think back to any inspiring learning experience you had, it’s probably true that the instructor had genuine enthusiasm for what was being taught.

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Check for Understanding

Transcript:

Now that we’ve learned about some basic ways to create an inspirational classroom environment, let’s do a short check for understanding. Place a check next to each statement that describes a classroom where inspiration is more, rather than less likely to occur.

First Box Feedback

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Second Box Feedback

Third Box Feedback

Fourth Box Feedback

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Fifth Box Feedback

6. Chapter 4: FAQs and Misconceptions

Benefits of Inspiration

Transcript:

Let’s take a moment to answer some common questions about inspiration - and also address a possible misconception.

First, what are the benefits of being inspired and being able to inspire - especially for teachers and students?

Researchers have studied the impact of inspiration on a person’s overall wellness, and here’s what they found. People who self-report higher levels of inspiration - as measured through a variety of survey questions - tend to also report higher levels of well-being, life satisfaction, energy, productivity, and self-efficacy (Figgins et al., 2016; Thrash et al., 2010; Thrash et al., 2014).

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Inspiration also has particular relevance for the work of teachers. Studies have consistently found that one of the most important factors affecting academic outcomes for students - especially older students - is the extent to which they are motivated and engaged by their teachers (Allen et al., 2011; Pianta et al., 2003; Wentzel, 1997; Wentzel et al., 2010). In other words, inspired students do better in school.

Common Questions

Transcript:

Another question has to do with whether inspiration is temporary, or whether it’s an ongoing, constant thing.

Most researchers agree that inspiration tends to be temporary and spontaneous (Searle & Hanrahan, 2010; Thrash & Elliot, 2004). A moment of transcendence is exactly that: a moment. However, a moment of inspiration may lead to actions - or commitments - that are ongoing and last a lifetime.

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The next question is, does inspiration always have to involve taking some action?

Basically, yes. One common misconception is that inspiration is merely a feeling (Thrash et al., 2014). Feeling

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joyful or emotionally uplifted is great, but it’s not the same thing as being inspired. In order to be inspired, a person has to be motivated to take an action of some kind.

Can I be Inspirational?

Transcript:

The final question is: Can I be inspirational?

After going through this module, you hopefully now know that the answer is yes.

Keep in mind, though, that trying to inspire someone on purpose can be a tricky proposition. If the attempt to inspire comes across as artificial or manipulative, it could end up accomplishing the opposite - and make the person feel jaded or disinvested (Thrash et al., 2014).

Here’s what you can do, though. You can create conditions and cultivate situations in which students become inspired organically. If students believe that you care about them as individuals and are working hard to support them, they’re much more likely to become inspired by the content you teach, by the experiences they have in your class, or by their relationships with you and their classmates (Wentzel, 1997, 1998).

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Chapter 5: Conclusion

Nurturing Inspiration

Transcript:

If you’ve created a classroom environment in which students can become inspired, the last thing to do is recognize inspiration when it happens and nurture it.

As a teacher, there are some simple ways that you can do this. First, pay attention to your students! Pay attention to what catches their interest, to the goals they want to pursue, and to the dreams and aspirations they give voice to. Ask them about these things, and engage in dialogue. Finally, help students turn their interests and goals into action. As you have these conversations, help them identify next steps for pursuing what inspires them.

We’ll close with a classroom teacher sharing what he does to learn about his students and nurture their inspiration.

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Video

Transcript:

Try to find out what a student does with his or her life outside of the classroom. If you see a student is involved

in dance, ask him or her about their next concert. Maybe you can’t go, but ask them how it went. If they’re in a

league, any kind of sport – outside of school – ask them how it’s going. I tell all of my students: “Each of you is

more than just a student in this class, and you should do your best to develop all the talents you have. And I

support you in your talents. I want to know about what you do outside the classroom.” That’s how students

know teachers can go that extra step and care.

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Transcript of Be the Spark Transcript - Sanford Inspire€¦ · Transcript: Another question has to do with...