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Virtual Elementary Classrooms

Shrieking sounds of feedback from friends as they try to have conversations with one another. Screech!!…….”What’s up Johnny, you got a haircut?” Michael puts his hands over his ears because the LOUD noises are piercing. Beep, Beep…….the ADMIT button continues to pop up each time you try to greet a student. Who on EARTH is “I am Nothing??” Mrs. Brown says, “I am Nothing would you please identify yourself so that I can rename your screen.” “Mrs. Brown, I can’t hear what you are saying.” Lilly begins to cry. She can’t get her video working so her friends don’t see her. Johnny continues to repeat loudly, “Hey, can ya’ll hear me! Hey….Hey!” Margie has a princess castle as her virtual background. Hi Sarah, can you play Roblox with me after class today? Genuine Complete Chaos. 25 little voices speaking all at once. Students talking in the chat. This virtual classroom is on the verge of becoming unhinged! Mrs. Brown quickly mutes all participates. And just as soon as Mrs. Brown begins to calmly restore order to her virtual classroom………..a nude parent appears glistening with tiny droplets of water running down their forehead. Little eyes begin to widen and you start to see some smirks on kids’ faces. NOOOOOO!!!!! Could this be happening? Please NOOOO……not on our first call! Has a parent accidentally crossed the pathway of their child’s camera as they emerged from the shower?? Let’s admit it friends, stuff happens. Mrs. Brown’s little meeting participants are only 7 and 8 years old. They are very tech savvy when it comes to playing video games on a phone or their iPad but a conference call for learning is a different story. Teachers, let’s not forget that classroom rules and procedures are needed in a virtual classroom just as you would need them with Face 2 Face instruction. Here are a few important rules for students you should keep in mind: · Have a quiet space to work with a wall as your background. · Screens muted when you enter the virtual classroom · All cameras are on so your teacher can see your bright and shinning face · Please be dressed, have your supplies and be sitting upright · Use of Virtual backgrounds can be earned through appropriate virtual classroom behavior Virtual back to school has surely had its ups and downs but we have to admit as educators it has been so delightful to see all those sweet little faces entering our virtual classrooms everyday. Until next time, Live, Laugh, & Learn with Mrs. Wright VIRTUAL TEACHING IS TOUGH but so are YOU!! Please share the virtual classroom rules and procedures that are working for you. Comment down below.

The Art of Networking

“ If you believe business is built on relationships, make building relationship your business.” - Scott Stratten Why in-person business networking is critical Having a big social media following is one thing but investing in face to face networking is still more important. Why? Because it is easier to put value to and leverage access to the people you have actual in-person contact with. Meeting people face to face create a more intimate relationship with that person. Yeah, I know during this time of COVID19 it’s hard to build these types of relationships, but it is still very important. You must be creative. Well explore some ways to develop your networking skills but most importantly we want to expand those connections to business opportunities and access to audiences that you would not normally have access to. But first, let talk about how this collaboration came about for me and KTTV. Yes, of course it was networking. A friend, of a friend, of friend and it just so happen that we had similar objectives as far as community services goes. I am the administrator of a Facebook group called “Mastering Life Group Therapy” _ I’ll explain the details of the name and what the group does in another post in the future. KTTV is a part of the group and has been instrumental in posting enlightening and educational material to the forum. So, when this opportunity came up for us to collaborate on this project it was an easy “Yes.” I saw all that to say this. The art of networking. A lot of people have a hard time networking for business because they go into the event as an option for making money, this approach automatically creates anxiety. The art of networking, is kind of like dating, you go out to meet someone to see if you have anything in common and then if you do you make a determination if you want to explore the commonality further. Same with networking, not everyone will have the same values and views as you do when it comes to business, the purpose of networking is to explore those opportunities. Here are some tips that can help you ace your next networking event: The purpose is to build rapport, remember that, you are not there to negotiate a million-dollar deal. You are there to invest in gaining access to new people and new opportunity if it presents itself Be prepared to add value and expertise in your skills area. If people see you mingle and you are confident in conversation about what you do and how well you do it, you add value and people will automatically gravitate to you. This is your opportunity to establish a connection outside of the networking event to explore collaborative opportunities Do not take the networking opportunity for granted, do not assume that you will get another opportunity to have access to the people you meet at the event. Make connection, exchange contact information and most definitely schedule an appointment to discuss details of any potential business opportunity. People respect effort. Networking can help build your reputation and your influence. When people can meet you in person and feel your energy, they are more likely to trust you and want to work with you. Think smart, come prepared and leave your expectations at the door. Networking is not easy, because meeting new people is never easy but having preconceived notions about the people and the event is never a good thing. As with every business opportunity put your best foot forward and put in the effort to make a good impression

Three Innate Psychological Needs for Intrinsic Motivation

As children we loved to play and learn. We were active, curious and excited about engaging the world around us. As children this was the stage we did the bulk of our learning. To some extent as grown ups we still love to play, engage and learn. When this is done eagerly and willingly, in both children and adults, its done intrinsically. In this stage we learn the most about ourselves and our world. According to https://psycnet.apa.org/ there are "three innate psychological needs—competence, autonomy, and relatedness—which when satisfied yield enhanced self-motivation and mental health and when thwarted lead to diminished motivation and well-being". Lets begin our dive deeper into these needs and how they relate to educators by looking at the competence theory first! "The  central thesis of the theory is that individuals are attracted to  participation  in  activities  at  which  they  feel competent or capable." (https://psychology.iresearchnet.com) As education is constantly evolving and schools are taking on more and more new initiatives, it is of utter importance that leaders ensure a follow-up and feedback loop of support to all parties involved. In order for teachers and staff to stay intrinsically motivated about the task at hand, they must feel comfortable enough to take the risk but knowledgable enough to earn the reward and see the success. High perceptions of competence increase feelings of pleasure which in turn raises the amount and level of intrinsically motivated members on your staff or faculty. The competence theory of motivation is very powerful as it relates to leaders and their staff; its just as powerful for teachers and parents as we relate this theory to our students and children. What ever area or domain of life we build them up in is the area they will become more motivated to engage in and take ownership for. Please remember the opposite of this statement has the same or greater effect on staff and students. We must continually become better at being intentional about our actions and our words. "As indicated in the original Harter model, significant others, such as parents, teachers, coaches, and peers play a major role in the development of individuals’  perceptions  of  physical  competence  and effectance  motivation". (https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/) In conclusion, when focusing on creating a culture of intrinsically motivated staff members, take in mind the amount of training and time you as a leader put into ensuring their success. As a teacher or parent, be mindful of the words you use and the areas that you build kids up in. Whichever domains they see success they will own and engage in. Leaders and Educators, lets try to make this all domains for EVERYONE one step at a time. Next week we will dive more into the three psychological needs and discuss autonomy. Let me know your thoughts and let's discuss. Until then this is KT signing out. #100

Increasing Intrinsic Motivation

By: Kendrick Thomas Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards according to verywellmind.com. In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual because it is naturally satisfying to you. Whenever we want to do something with no reward at all it means we are intrinsically motivated by that task. Our reward comes from some form of emotional satisfaction or better feelings on the inside of us. As educators we know that we don’t do the late nights and early mornings for the for the money. Therefore it has to be motivation inside of us that pushes us to perfect our craft on a daily basis. The factors they identify as increasing intrinsic motivation include: (verywellmind.com) Challenge: People are more motivated when they pursue goals with personal meaning and when attaining the goal is possible but not necessarily certain. These goals may also relate to their self-esteem when performance feedback is available. Curiosity: Internal motivation is increased when something in the physical environment grabs the individual's attention (sensory curiosity). It also occurs when something about the activity stimulates the person to want to learn more (cognitive curiosity). Control: People want control over themselves and their environments and want to determine what they pursue. Cooperation and competition: Intrinsic motivation can be increased in situations where people gain satisfaction from helping others. It also applies to cases where they are able to compare their own performance favorably to that of others. Recognition: People enjoy having their accomplishment recognized by others, which can increase internal motivation.

Creating Intrinsic Motivation in People!

By: Kendrick Thomas Why do we do anything in life? Is it to receive reward and recognition for everything, or is it related to our internal wiring which states we do things simply to appease ourselves? Some people would argue both! We do all things as a result of either being extrinsically motivated (outside of us) or intrinsically motivated (inside of us). Some even at the same time. When it comes to exercise, I do it because I want to look good, but I also exercise because I worry about heart disease and associated illnesses. In Shreveport La, during my time growing up, and coming from my neighborhood or side of town, I did not run into a lot of college graduates. A lot of the knowledge I have now, my drive and ambition, and my willingness to fail to learn comes from wanting to be better within myself or intrinsically. As I started school and moved away from Shreveport La, relying on this same intrinsic motivation worked for me simply due to the fact I’ve seen both sides of the coin. I’ve seen the world of working in a career that I love and I’ve seen the world of eat what you kill. Needless to say which one I am intrinsically motivated to never go back to. When I talk to kids, I always tell them find something to do for a career they would do for free! After reading information about extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation, I ask the question is there anything we would really do for free? Throughout this blog I’m going to take time to learn about intrinsic motivation and how we raise that level in others. Once a week I’ll share some of my research, tips, links and pages so that I can pass this information on to other leaders and professionals within my reach. I encourage readers to weigh in on subjects and respond. If you have a different viewpoint by all means please share your thoughts. Debate and discourse is always welcomed.-Kendrick