Student Contributor: C. Betts
This tool is designed for students with problematic behavior that revolves around their energy levels being higher than their peers or for students that find themselves acting out when the course load isn’t enough for them.
This tool has you create a list of 5-15 “small challenges” for the student that are based on the lesson you’re presenting. The challenges are usually questions or word problems that relate directly to the assignments the rest of the class is doing. For the students with higher energy levels or those getting bored after assignments, having them complete 5 of these small challenges to earn a small break to tap their pencils, move around, or whatever they feel they need before they come back to accomplish more. In reality the student has shown efficiency on the same information the rest of the class has, but has done more work to redirect some of that energy to benefit the student in the long run. This tool doesn’t necessarily need to be used with rewards like breaks, because ideally the student will feel a much stronger sense of accomplishment when they complete 5-10 tasks than they do when they complete only 1.
I put this tool right in the middle at a collaborative theory of influence. I believe this is a collaborative tool because it works in the benefit of both the teacher and the student in the long run. The teacher spends less time correcting, the students absorbs more information, and the whole time both of them are discussing what the student needs and where you can add more. If it relates to another phase I'd say it's slightly on the student-centered side because it really is working for the interest of the student. Redirecting the energy they have is the most beneficial because they shouldn't be punished just for needing to move and they still get the information.
More Information –
Tool Source: Past Experience
