Motivation and Self-Control

This morning I read an article about motivation and learning in the New York Times that synthesized two articles that I posted on our blog last year, so I am reposting below.  The article outlines research about intrinsic motivation and promoting self-regulation in students, with applicable teaching strategies to promote both a "growth mindset" and self-control.  Very interesting!

Post from October 2010:

In relationship to Core Virtues "Wisdom" and "Self-Control", I am reminded of interesting articles I've read that explore developmental psychology and implications with motivation and learning. I wanted to share!

The first article was published in New York magazine while I was teaching in New York and covers studies done by Carol Dweck (psychologist then at Columbia, now at Stanford) about growth and fixed mindsets and the effect on motivation in children. It was published while I was teaching in New York and instantly went viral at our school, and since then I've shared it with other teachers and parents- it's one of my favorites. Dweck also lead a workshop at Columbia that I attended, so I had the chance to hear more about her tools for teachers. She stressed the importance of using language that applauds effort as opposed to simply outcomes to help motivate students, as well as the power of metacognition and talking explicitly about using the brain as a muscle to help it grow.  She has an online tool called Brainology for middle school students.

The latter was published in the New Yorker a couple years ago and also follows the work done by another psychologist, Walter Mischel (coincidentally, formerly at Stanford, now at Columbia). Mischel studied "deferred gratification" through his famous marshmallow study. He argues that intelligence is at the mercy of self-control, which can be improved by metacognition and cognitive training. In longitudinal studies outlined in this article, he found strong correlations with the ability to delay gratification (self-control) and academic achievement.

While it may sound dry, both articles are full of colorful anecdotes and written as digestable features. Hopefully you find these articles interesting and relevant as well!

The Power (and Peril) of Praise (Carol Dweck, New York magazine)

Don't! The Secret of Self-Control (Walter Mischel, New Yorker)

Thank you, Mrs. Randall!

After half of a school year of table manners, polite greetings, household help, and proper social conduct, our term of Etiquette has ended.  Amidst all her decorum, Mrs. Randall has a sense of humor!  She left this note on our board after class.

Spelling Words Week 1/17/12

1. one
2. two
3. three
4. four
5. five
6. six
7. seven
8. eight
9. nine
10. ten
11. hundred
12. thousand
13. million
14. fraction
15. decimal

Weekly Highlights 1/13- Ms. Der Yuen

Field trip slips are coming home today for our upcoming trip to the San Francisco Creativity Museum.  We will be exploring materials with a clay animation project as well as working with a "Mysterday Box" design challenge where the children will have to create an invention using miscellaneous materials.  Please fill it out and return in by Friday, January 20th.  We hope you can join us as a chaperone!  For more info, check it out here.

We also had fun with our compliment party!  The kids voted to bring in a stuffed animal to celebrate with ice cream and games.  Most popular activity was building racing ball ramps with KEVA blocks.

Spencer: I liked earning the compliment party, Riley as VIP, the Banana Slug Band, cursive, doing jump ropes in PE, and dissolving sugar grains and cubes in science.

Brynn: I liked everything! I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen in the seastar costume with the Banana Slug Band, jump roping in PE, reading Matilda and laughing when she made the water glass tip over on Ms. Trunchbull, and I’m looking forward to the party.

Alex C.: I liked Matilda, jump roping in PE, Riley’s VIP, and I’m looking forward to the party.

Mihir: I liked everything! Specifically I liked playing chess with Alex C., Riley as VIP, seeing Ms. Der Yuen, Lindsay and Nina’s awards, Banana Slug Band, dissolving sugar in science, and doing more cursive.

Riley: I liked being VIP, finishing My Father’s Dragon in literature, Matilda, and the Banana Slug Band. Basically, I liked everything!

Lindsay: I liked getting my Core Virtue Award, the Banana Slug Band, reading Matilda, writing my New Year’s resolutions, earning the compliment party, writing about jumping for joy, seeing Ms. Der Yuen, science, and PE.

Kayla: I liked earning the compliment party, cursive, and writing about jumping for joy (I wrote about wanting to get a dog).

Alex L.: I liked the joy writing, earning the compliment party (I’m looking forward to it!), math, etiquette, gymnastics, seeing Ms. Der Yuen in the seastar costume with the Banana Slug Band, science, PE, finishing My Father’s Dragon, reading Robi Dobi and Matilda in read aloud, writing a compliment to Riley as VIP, and seeing her poster.

Nina: I liked reading Robi Dobi, seeing Ms. Der Yuen, getting my Core Virtue Award, cursive, Matilda, and Riley’s VIP.

Brennan: I liked Riley’s VIP poster, earning the compliment party, cursive, etiquette, seeing Ms. Der Yuen in the starfish costume with the Banana Slug Band, jump roping in PE, Matilda, and science.

Maya: I liked PE, the Banana Slug Band, Matilda, and I am looking forward to the party.

MIshal: I loved seeing Ms. Der Yuen! I liked jump roping in PE, science, gymnastics, etiquette, getting a sticker in cursive, seeing my sister get her Core Virtue Award, and earning our party.

Feel better, Matthew!

Weekly Highlights 1/13/12 Mrs. Barulich

The excitement keeps building with our second graders as they learn an extra cursive letter each day. Today they were able to write: little, bell, bill, well and will! Their cursive writing is actually better than their printing! We've finished our studies on the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and compared the similarities to him and Mohandas Gandhi. Amazing what can be accomplished through peaceful protesting. The most powerful message Dr. King gave his audience was that, "Only love can stamp out hate."
Enjoy the three day weekend and we will see you on Tuesday.

1. Liam - I liked being able to sing a solo at the Banana Slug assembly, receiving the Compassion Award and learning more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. Oliver - I liked when Mrs. Barulich introduced us to Pachebel's Cannon's today on the CD player. I also liked it when Miss Der Yuen was the sea star at the Banana Slug assembly and writing my New Year's Resolutions.


3. Vicki - I liked receiving my Joy Award, the Banana Slug assembly and it was funny when Mrs. Barulich was dancing with Miss Der Yuen as the sea star!

4. Madeline -I really like learning to write in cursive. I also liked the Banana Slug assembly, writing out my New Year's Resolutions and learning more about Dr. King.

5. Nathan - I liked the Get to Know Your Water Shed song at the Banana Slug assembly, math and drawing out our sketches in art this week.

6. Rohan - I liked the race in science to see whether hot or cold water would dissolve sugar faster. I also liked the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and cursive writing!

7. Renee - I liked learning more cursive letters and being able to write out words! I also liked doing the backbends on the wheel barrel in gymnastics and the Banana Slug assembly was great!

8. Stefan -I liked P.E., starting words in cursive and doing our art sketches in art.

9. Aidan - I liked basketball in P.E., making words now in cursive and Mrs. Barulich!

10. Kenna - I liked singing, I Have My Closet Key and My Lady's Garden in music, cursive writing and writing out our New Year's Resolutions.

11. Ivan - I liked the Banana Slug assembly, singing the Water Shed song, the race in science to see what temperature water dissolved the sugar the fastest and working on my New Year's Resolutions.

Logic Puzzle

In math today we solved a logic puzzle together on the Smart Board.  The kids had to work together and solve the puzzle with logically reasoning.  They were particularly impressed to learn that this puzzle dates back to the 8th century!  

Crossing the Rive Logic Puzzle

Happy New Year!

This week the second graders wrote New Year's resolutions.  We learned about resolutions as personal goals and can be large or small.  Together we brainstormed a bunch of different ideas of goals for ourselves, friends and families, and the school and world.  Come by the classes to check out their personal resolutions!  They also found this New Year's resolution generator particularly funny, so thought I'd share.

Spelling Words Week 1/9/12 Consonant Clusters

1. fly
2. clean
3. sleep
4. free
5. grade
6. train
7. drive
8. tree
9. please
10.slow
11.multiply
12. integrity
13.slipper
14.creative
15.practice

Weekly Highlights 1/6- Ms. Der Yuen

Happy New Year! It has been wonderful hearing about all the winter break happenings through stories and Winter Break News writing. The kids have gotten right back into the swing of things, and 2012 is off to a great start.  

Lindsay: I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen, starting cursive, reading Matilda, and making my courage superhero.

Mihir: I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen, starting cursive, doing my courage superhero, writing about things I wonder about for 2012, and mixing gravel, salt, and tissue paper in water in science.

Riley: I liked starting cursive, making courage superhero, doing experiments in science, and My Father’s Dragon.

Alexander C.: I liked learning cursive, jump roping in PE, and spelling with Kayla as my partner.

Brynn: I liked everything! I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen, making my courage superhero, Matilda, sharing highlights, starting cursive, adding to the Wonder Wall, jump roping in PE, and My Father’s Dragon.

Spencer: I liked jump roping in PE, mixing gravel, salt, and tissue paper in water in science, sharing highlights of my break, My Father’s Dragon, cursive, and getting couch this week.

Mishal: I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen again, seeing Nina’s VIP board, PE, learning cursive, math, and learning more about Hinduism and Buddhism in computers.

Maya: I liked PE, Matilda, My Father’s Dragon, and quiet independent reading.

Brennan: I liked starting cursive, watching the Jataka tales video, Matilda, hearing the Robi Dobi stories, jump roping in PE, starting Tintin in French, and playing chess.

Nina: I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen, learning cursive, watching the Jataka tales, the science experiment, and computers.

Alexander L.: I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen, starting Tintin in French, making my courage superhero, science, PE, Matilda, learning about Gandhi, starting a Buddhism and Hinduism project in computers, hearing the Robi Dobi stories, having Kayla join our reading group and starting a new book, and starting cursive.

Kayla: I liked seeing Ms. Der Yuen, Matilda, starting cursive, switching reading groups, and science.

Matthew: I liked everything! I liked cursive, PE, computers, learning about Gandhi, and Matilda.

Weekly Highlights 1/5/12 Mrs. Barulich

Happy New Year Second Grade Parents,
Our first week back to school has flown by and the students are adjusting marvelously. By today, Thursday, I feel everyone, including myself, is back in the groove of things. We have started our cursive writing, as Ms. Der Yuen wrote below. It has been met with great enthusiasm. The students are doing a great job of 'hugging' the lines, aware not to 'dip' their letters below the line and to have pride in their writing. In Core, we are discussing Martin Luther King, Jr., Jim Crow Laws and the Civil Rights Movement.
For a short week we've had a lot going on.

1. Liam - I liked Miss Nelson's visit and finding out about her life at Columbia University in New York. I liked talking to the prospective visitors today and learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. Aidan - I liked learning to write the letter i in cursive! I also liked learning about Dr. King's childhood and Miss Nelson's visit made our week!

3. Ivan - I liked writing the letter i in cursive on my daily! I liked writing out my Holiday News on Tuesday and Miss Nelson's visit was very special.

4. Oliver - I liked Ms. Anscombe's visit to our classroom, Miss Nelson's visit and learning cursive writing!

5. Stefan -I liked P.E., learning about Dr. King, Jr. and learning to write in cursive!

6. Rohan - I liked learning about when Dr. King was a little boy. He was mischievous! Miss Nelson's visit was a lot of fun. We got to ask her many questions. She is so nice. And I like Mrs. Barulich, she makes learning fun!

7. Vicki - I LOVED my week back. I really like cursive, cursive and MORE cursive! I also liked writing out my Holiday News especially about my Zuca. I can carry so much in it!

8. Kenna - Miss Nelson's visit was very special to us. She talked about having to stay in during the hurricane in New York City this past fall. I also liked learning about Dr. King and how he and his sister would try to scare grown ups in the bushes with their grandmother's fox fur! It was funny. Last of all, the cursive is really fun and easy.

9. Nathan - I liked getting to free draw in art, testing our experiments in science, mixing solids with liquids and in Saxon Math, we are now adding double digit numbers where our answers add up to three digit sums.

10. Madeline - I liked learning cursive writing. I like having my own book. I also really liked Miss Nelson and Ms. Anscombe's visit.

11. Renee - I liked Miss Nelson's visit. Living in New York City sounds exciting! I also LOVED learning cursive this week and Ms. Anscombe's visit to our classroom

Cursive Practice

The kids all cheered when we told them that we would be starting cursive this week!  Much to their delight, we started today with the undercurve lower case letters, beginning with lower case "i".  While we will be using Zaner-Bloser in class, we will be using Handwriting Without Tears for additional OT help in tutoring.

If you would like to print out additional practice cursive letter worksheets to do at home, you can do so here.  We will be practicing using specialized OT grips to help our grips and letter construction.  These grips we are using are designed by an occupational therapist (O.T.) to correct improper pencil grasps. A barrier prevents the thumb from overlapping and a rim keeps fingers at the correct distance from the point. You can order more for home here on Amazon.

Jataka Tales

We've read some Jataka tales during our Core lessons on India. The stories have been a fun way to learn about the reincarnations of Buddha and we've noticed that many of them remind us of Aesop's Fables. Today we watched a couple on youtube, so we wanted to share-

Jataka Tales (youtube)