One of the most difficult challenges both parents and teachers face is motivating students who are not intrinsically motivated to learn. How can we make students want to succeed academically? Should we exhort them? Punish them? Entertain them? Perhaps; there are proponents and critics for each of those strategies.
The experts agree, however, that the most successful techniques teachers and parents can use to motivate students include engaging their interest, displaying enthusiasm for what they are teaching, and establishing challenging, but achievable expectations. At Think Tutoring, we employ various motivational stratagies. Most importantly, we provide regular positive reinforcement for kids who put forth their best effort. We continually let them know that their hard work willl pay off, and we do so without heaping false praise.
On a lighter but no less important note, each student also earns "Think Tutoring Points" for demonstrable effort and work well done. Students save their points in a pencil pouch and can exchange them for fun prizes -- toys, games and gift cards of varying value levels.
Finally, we also have "Success Time", where kids can relax after each instructional hour by playing nerf basketball, jumping rope or board games such as the Think Tutoring favorite, Blokus. This "down time" gives kids a little breathing room and helps our environment remain devoid of stress. At Think Tutoring, we believe that learning environments should both serious and fun.