The Secret of Motivation and Inspiration- Kamie Crum

After reading this chapter it talked about a lot of things I try to bring into my classroom.  For instance, praise, motivations, and building a good rapport with each student in my classroom.  Every placement I get asked who my favorite student, and I always reply in the same way, "Every student is my favorite. There is something special about every single one of you that I love."  Then you hear the student run around and tell everyone and you see that sparkle in their eyes knowing that you truly do care.
Another thing that stuck out in this chapter was Part 1- How to make Your Excitement Their Excitement.  There was a quote in this section that really touched me and I believe that this is 100% accurate.  " As a teacher, my mood sets the weather in the classroom each day.  My tone establishes the tone for the entire class.  If I look out at my students and see an uninspired group, my next glance in in the mirror.  Though its not always easy, I know that in order to motivate and inspire my students, I have to be motivated and inspired first.  So, on those days when I'm not feeling so motivated and enthusiastic, I just pretend to be.  My students do not know the difference!" If you come into the classroom upset over something that happened you can bring the mood down in the class and if you are in an emotional support classroom like I am now or any classroom with multiple problems going on then that can effect how students behave.  But by making the classroom a fun and warm environment students feel better and you can see they want to achieve. 
Like I  said I try to build a good rapport with every student in my classroom.  That is not easy with some students but that is my goal going into the classroom.  I feel that when you know your students you not only know how they learn but maybe you can understand why a certain behavior is going on in the classroom based on something that happened at home or school.  Also it builds trust between you and your students.  Right now I have talked and encountered any a variety of conversations with my students.  I am teaching social skills and I share my experiences with them and allow them to share theirs.  Since I have that rapport with them, I feel as if the students feel comfortable with me to share about their lives and that is wonderful!  I also try to say something positive to each student every day.  I went to a presentation at Edinboro and the presenter said something that really stuck with me.  For every negative thing you say to someone they need 10 positive comments to make them feel better.  With some of the home life that these students have, why would they want to keep hearing negative things.  That is when the behavior starts to get worse.  Therefore by praising the students and saying positive comments to them, that may be the only thing that actually impacts their lives.  Students need to feel as ease and safe in your classroom because some students see you more than their own parents therefore you are making a huge impact in their lives and you might not even realize it.
Part 5 talks about the use of rewards appropriately.  In the Emotional Support classroom I am student teaching in, there is a lot of behavior problems.  So after about two weeks of observing this behavior I decided that I needed to incorporate an incentive jar for positive behavior.  Students see that jar and know what they need to do to reach the intended goal.  I have really seen a change of behavior in some students because they want that incentive.  It is not based on individual behavior but rather the entire class.  The students also know that they get three strikes and then they are out and they do not get beans for that class.  The three strikes you are out system helps students to realize that it is not based solely on individual behavior and can not blame one specific student for not getting beans for the class period.