California Educator

October/November 2019

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of interest. Then allow them to choose their level of challenge. T h e s t u d e n t s' j o b i s t o m a k e t h e chosen text understandable by adding punctuation. You should note that the original author's punctuation choices are not the only valid ones, and when stud ents make dif ferent choic e s th e class can discuss those differences. Your students will get feedback that they 're building mastery as they use punctua- tion to make sense of increasingly challenging texts. Eventually, you'll have samples of student work you can share in subsequent years — showing progression from a text with no punctuation to one with incorrect or incomplete punctuation, and then on to a readable text with appropriate punctuation. Math: Me t r i c sy st e m b o r i n g ? L e t stu d e n t s c h o o s e s o m e t h i n g that interests them, such as recipes they want to make or sporting statistics, and have them con- vert the standard values involved into metric measurements. Help learners recognize the pleasurable emotional experiences that occur through th e i r l e a r n i n g a n d su st a i n e d e f f o r t . Remind them of these experiences when they need a boost of motivated enthusi- asm and effort for subsequent goals. Motivation has a major impact on stu- dents' effort, academic success and joy of learning. Providing choices for students to engage with new learning and to progress through achievable challenges, with feedback on their progress toward their chosen goals, will make a difference in sustaining their motivated effort throughout the school year ahead. Judy Willis is a neurologist and former classroom teacher who lives in Santa Barbara. This article first appeared in Edutopia. "Choice appears to increase students' levels of intrinsic motivation, supporting their sustained effort and persistence in academic tasks. It shifts responsibility for their learning to students and builds their judgment and decision-making." 49 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 019 IMPACT THEIR LIVES AND YOURS sdcc.edu/teachers | 619-213-1611 CALIFORNIA TEACHERS, EARN YOUR DEGREE IN JUST 40 WEEKS!* • Improve student learning outcomes • Sharpen teaching skills • Explore new teaching modalities • Complete the program for under $10,000 The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is designed to help you thrive as a classroom teacher. Get a sneak peak at the program when you visit the site! *CA SB2042 Teaching Credential is a transfer option into the MAT program

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