COURSE TITLE:

INCREASING MOTIVATION & SELF ESTEEM IN STUDENTS

NO. OF CREDITS:

3 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 2.00 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  
30
30
30

INSTRUCTOR:

Michael Sedler
mike@communicationplus.net

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course emphasizes the critical nature of self-esteem in each person. According to Abraham Maslow, self-esteem is one of the basic needs we have in our life. It is the pillar on which we are built. Too often, schools see children with low esteem that then interferes with their education. By examining motivational theory and strategies, we will find ways to increase the self-esteem and motivation in children. In addition to examining your own behavior style, each educator will learn successful ways of planning for a studentsʼ success.  This class will quickly illustrate ways to make a difference in your school and classroom.
Through hands on applications within the schools, reading materials and analyzing case studies, each student will be able to develop effective strategies for students.
This course is designed to be effective for all P-12 educators, regardless of teaching level or job description.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

1.     Stated the aspects of positive self-esteem.
2.     Recognized aspects of depression and low self-image that may lead to peer problems.
3.     Developed activities to increase self-esteem in students.
4.     Analyzed and synthesized aspects of motivational theory and strategies.
5.     Investigated their own areas of self-esteem to find areas of personal growth.
6.     Listed, analyzed and developed a plan for supporting students in the area of motivation.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted. Assignment responses found to be generated by AI will not be accepted.
 


HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.




 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%



 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Each student will choose their own textbook for this course which allows for personal areas of focus within the course information.  At the end of the course manual is a bibliography of potential books.  However, feel free to pick one not on the the list that is compatible with this course. 

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

A course manual may be downloaded, from the instructor’s website at http://www.michaelsedler.com There is no charge of the manual. Click on classes, from there scroll down the page and click on the orange lettering ‘Manual’ next to the class “Increasing Motivation". It will download as a PDF. While there is no fee for the manual, you may have to pay to order a book from the bibliography or one of your own choosing. Or, you may borrow one from a friend or check one out at the public library for free.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: Read the Manual.

Read the entire manual and send a one page summary of what you hope to learn in this class. Everyone taking the class, including in groups, must complete this assignment. Download the current manual from my website.

Assignment #2: Read Your Chosen Text.

Read a book from the bibliography or one of student's choice. If taking this course in a group, each person should read a book.  Only one person needs to write a summary. 

Critique the book based on personal experiences.  Write a 2-3 page paper.

Assignment #3: Complete Designated Worksheets in Manual.

Complete the following pages:
a) Dominant/Dependent Learners (pgs. 13-14)
b) Trust Based Relationships (pgs. 25-26)

(Write a 1-2 page summary for each page)

Assignment #4: Discussion with Educators.

Discuss areas of focus and difficulty in motivating students and increasing self-esteem with other educators. Write a 2-page summary.

Assignment #5: Discussion With Sports Coach.

Discuss with a sports coach at school or in the community ways they motivate and build self-esteem. In a short report compile and summarize all responses from the person.   (2 pages).

Assignment #6: Literature Review.

Review 3 separate journals or articles on the topic of motivation.  Choose one and write a 2 page summary of the article.   Include the title of the article and the author.

Assignment #7: Read Manual Article

Read the article ‘Motivating Students in the Middle Years’ (p. 19-22).  Write a 2 page summary including your personal perspective and insights. 

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 



Assignment #8: Student Candidate.

Choose a student who lacks in specific area(s) of motivation. Write out areas of concern and develop a program to help him/her (use examples in manual and from your chosen text).

Initiate the program over a 1-2 week period.  (Sample outline in manual on page 18). 

To maintain privacy, please do not refer to students in your paper by their actual name, but rather use an alias or designation such as “Student A.”

Write a 2-3 page paper explaining the program developed for the student. 

Assignment #9: Lesson Development.

Assignment #A:

Develop a lesson to reflect what you’ve learned in this course.
Implement your lesson with students in your classroom.
Write a 2 page commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
Include any student feedback on your lesson.
OR


Assignment #B: 

Use this option if you do not have a classroom available.

Develop a lesson to reflect what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
Write a 2 page summary concerning any noteworthy success you’ve had as a teacher with one or more students.

Assignment #10: (500 Level ONLY)

In addition to the 400 level assignments complete one (1) of the following options:

Option A)  Mentor another individual in the concepts of this class. Have them share two or three key concepts that they would like to implement within their work or social setting.  Develop a plan for the implementation of these ideas.  (1-2 pages).

OR

Option B)  Create a PowerPoint presentation for your staff based on this course and focused on perspectives or strategies you feel would be beneficial for your school. Minimum of 15 slides.  Save this as a pdf.

OR

Option C)  Another assignment of your own design, with instructor prior approval.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #11: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?


INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Mike Sedler, M.S.W., D. Min., brings over 40 year of educational experience as a special education director, social worker, behavior specialist and teacher to each of his classes.   He provides consultation and seminars throughout the United States and Canada for schools, agencies and businesses. He has a graduate degree in Social Work, a Doctoral degree in Ministry, a Counseling license, as well as his teaching certification. Mike has worked with children of all ages, specifically with children exhibiting behavioral challenges, mental health concerns, and characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder.  In addition, he taught general education classes in the elementary school and middle school arenas.   All of Mikeʼs classes are practical and “field tested” in schools and classrooms. Educators have found success in implementing Mikeʼs clear and concise approaches. All of his course material may be immediately implemented into a school or a home.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INCREASING MOTIVATION & SELF ESTEEM IN STUDENTS


You may choose a book from this list or one of your own choosing that is compatible to this course.  Please let the instructor know if you choose a book that is not on this list.

 Anderman, Eric.  Sparking Student Motivation.  Corwin Press, 2020.  www.corwin.com.  How to create enthusiasm, confidence and joy in the classroom.  (P-12). 

Barron, Laurie, and Kinney, Patti.  We Belong, 50 Strategies to Create Community and Revolutionize Classroom Management, ASCD, 2021,  www.acsd.org  (Grades P-12).

Duckworth, Angela.  Grit.  Vermilion, 2019.  This book discusses the concept of practicing the concepts of grit to overcome adversity.  (grades P-12).  www.penguin.com

Eden, Todd and El Davo.  Own Life: How to Show Up With Confidence and Take Control of the Future.  Bluestag Publishing, 2019.   Taking control of your life.   (gr. 6-12).   www.bluestag.co.uk/services

Ferlazzo, Larry.  The Student Motivation Handbook.  Routledge, 2023.  Creating a classroom environment for motivation.  (grades P-12).   www.routledge.com  

Gartell, Dan.  A Guidance Approach For Every Child..  RedLeaf Press, 2017.  Positive approaches for helping children.  (grades P-12).  www.redleafpress.org   

Kanold, Timothy & Tina Boogren. Emotional Wellness: A Guide for Sustaining Physical, Mental, Emotional and Social Well-Being. 2022. Solution Tree, Wellness Solutions. www.solutiontree.com

Mendler, Allen.  Motivating Students Who Don’t Care.  Solution Tree Press, 2021.  Ideas to help students learn to self-regulate, focus and achieve.  (grades P-12).  www.solutiontree.com

Porosoff, Lauren and Weinstein, Jonathan.  EMPOWER Your Students.  Solution Tree Press, 2017.     Approaches to empowerment and engagement.  (grades 4-12).  www.solutiontree.com

Rabin, Tyler.   Assessment Strategies That Boost Learning Progression and Build Student Confidence. Times Ten Publications, 2024.  Tapping into student motivation. (grades 5-12.  www.10publications.com

Shardlow, Giselle, Breathing Exercises for Kids: Thirty Breathing Exercises to Help Children to Calm and Focus.  2019. Kids Yoga Stories.  www.amazon.com  

Stobaugh, Rebecca.  Fifty Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement.  Solution Tree, 2019.  Transforms the classroom from passive learning to active engagement.  (Grades P-12).  www.solutiontree.com 

Stuart, Dave.  The Will to Learn: Cultivating Student Motivation.  Through love and commitment, reaching students and enriching lives.  Corwin Press, 2023.  www.corwin.com