Bric Slade TC: Chapter 6 Summary

Bric Slade TC: Chapter 6 Summary

Summary: As teachers we can play a critical role in our students success. Positive criticism has an effect on our students for the better or for the worse depending on how we use it. In an experiment in New York Dr. Dweck performed an experiment on 400 5th grades. She had the 5th graders take a test and at the end of the test rewarded the students with 2 types of positive reinforcement. She said "you must be a very smart person," to students who performed better than others, and "you must have really tried hard" to students who performed not so well. The difference is seen better when one comes to see the results of the experiment. Dr. Dweck had the students take another test but this time gave the students the choice whether they would like to take a harder test or whether they would like to take the easier test. Each student could decide individually. The students who had scored lower on the first test chose to take the harder test while a majority of the students who scored higher on the first test chose to take the easier test. The point is, when we offer high motivation to our students, or in other words when we offer praises on intelligence rather than motivation, it gives them the idea that they don't need to try harder and they don't need to be motivated. It gives people the idea that motivation is not a factor in success it is talent. Referring back to what I said before, 50% PRACTICE and 50% MOTIVATION equals success. Success isn't skill because the fact that we are producing skill is a sign we are being successful. To cap off the experiment Dr. Dweck had the students take a third test, just as hard as the first. The students who performed lower the first time improved their score by 30% while those who performed higher the first time lowered their scores about 20%.

Key Terms: Success, Motivation, High Motivation, Low Motivation

Key Concepts: Teachers need to remember the motivation they give to their students can effect them in a positive way or a bad way.

Connections: My job as a teacher is not to improve skill. My Job as a teacher is to teach practice and motivation.