I am a true believer in Formative Assessment and the concept of intrinsic motivation. Children recognising and celebrating their own successes, driving that intrinsic motivation to carry on, succeed and improve.
Being the Principal of a school, children come to see me to share their learning – this has to be the best part of this role. Celebrating with children when they have achieved success.
Today a Year 4 boy came and shared his writing. He had written a superb pirate story full of language features, literary devices and direct speech. He also read the story brillinatly with great expression and fluency. He had highlighted green (go) his successful areas and there was evidence of pink (think) highlighter where he had improved his work.
To share his excitement and celebrate his learning was fabulous. He was well chuffed to have been ‘sent to the Principal’ to share his learning and have it acknowledged. Then, I added an extrinsic motivator – a Principal’s Award Sticker…….the sheer delight, excitement and pride was priceless to see!! It was just wonderful to see a child beaming with pride over the success he was enjoying and to have it topped off with a Principals Award – priceless! Then to see him go back to class to share his success with his classmates was terrific. How motivated is he now, to continually achieve, improve and do the best he can?
This absolutely reinforces our children’s need to have their successes acknowledged and celebrated. We want to build successful, capable learners, who aim to achieve and improve. We want to ‘label’ our children as all being successful in some aspect (doesn’t have to be reading, writing and maths).
Every child having success – priceless!
