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There's a secret button that will let you activate any student's desire to succeed.
Once you push this button, you are sure to see from your students:
 Increased cooperation and good behavior.
Higher motivation to reach classroom goals.
More diligence and creativity in completing
assignments.
A passion for learning that will amaze and delight
you.
Pushing this button makes your job easier, and the good news is that you can accomplish all this on your first day of class.
What is it?
It's finding out what your kids love the most!
I’m not just talking about superficial interests, such as your favorite color or favorite food. I’m talking about going deeper into their exact likes and dislikes, what makes them tick, and what turns their crank.
This strategy utilizes a tool called an Interest Inventory, and it takes the form of a fun survey that your students fill out, and you use the answers to gain a better understanding of your kids.
Simply put, Interest Inventories tell you exactly what your kids want and need. They provide a “hook” you will use to reach them through your lesson plans. That’s an incredibly valuable tool for any teacher. It illuminates the student’s point of motivation, and it will drive your lesson planning.
I'm always amazed how many teachers fail to take the time to find out exactly what their students are truly passionate about.
Because once you possess that information, you will know exactly how to capture the attention of your students. This is a powerful tool in modifying the behavior of any child, as well as the best long-term tool you can use to plan your lessons, day in and day out.
Let me provide an example of how
effective this strategy can be
Years ago, when I was a student teacher, I was assigned to work with a child named Michael who wasn't doing any school work. He hadn't accomplished a single thing in class all year.
The teacher told me in private, "Okay, I'm handing the class to you, but I don't expect you to do anything with Michael."
Now, many children present themselves as not being interested in anything, and Michael was no exception. Getting any information or enthusiasm from Michael was like pulling teeth.
But I was determined to find a way. As a student teacher, I was eager to impress my mentor, and I figured that there HAD to be a way to reach Michael.
There was. I found a way to discover Michael's secret passion without him saying a single word.
By developing a specialized survey, I discovered that Michael was absolutely crazy for Mustang cars.
So, I found a way to incorporate Mustangs into a writing assignment, and after just a few days, Michael was completely on-task, doing the same assignments as everyone else.
His turnaround was stunning. And it all came about because I found a simple but ingenious way to uncover what he really loved.
Finding the Trap Door to a Child’s Heart
All your students love something — even the ones who won't admit it. And if you can find out what those things are, then those students will be yours all year long.
The reason is simple: Kids will work hard for the things they enjoy.
Their motivation springs from the respect you
showed in taking an interest in their passions.
To maximize the benefit of these surveys, do them early in the year — as early as the first class. Simply make photocopies of your Interest Inventory, and have students fill in their answers during class.
Collect their sheets and then tally the responses on your own after class. Make notes as to which subjects are most frequently listed. Then, during the next day's class, have fun with your class in discussing the results.
Ask them questions such as, "Okay, guys, what do you think the class’ favorite music group is?" Also, I recommend giving the surveys out a second time halfway through the school year because kids' interests are always changing.
Here’s another tip – if a new student is added to your class during the course of the year, give him the Interest Inventory right away. This will make him feel a welcomed part of the class, and you will get a quick read on where he is coming from.
Here are some other tips on finding
out what your students love and
using that information to its fullest:
 When surveying your students to find out their interests, note what that information might say about their support system and home life. This can be valuable information.
Look for inexpensive ways you can reward your students with things they like.
Find subtle and creative ways to incorporate students' interests in your assignments. You'll hold their attention better that way.
Use your students' "passion points" as a springboard for class discussions which lead into your regular material.
Never use completely unstructured free time as a reward for your ADHD students. As many teachers know, many kids (especially those with ADHD) "don't do nothing well."
Remember, the key to transforming problem students
is finding a way to forge a real connection with them
so that they can see a payoff for getting good grades.
Finding out what they love is one of the best ways to do that.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure the survey you’re using for your class is age-appropriate.
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 If you want a kick-start on some questions to use in your surveys, you can get them from my book, How To Turn Any Disruptive Child Into Your Best Student. With nearly 100 survey questions, it has three full-length surveys you can copy and use instantly in your class. (There are surveys for all grade levels.)
That book is one of my recommended resources.
To read more details about it, click here.
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Here is an email I received from a reader of my book about how Interest Inventories helped him in his classroom. (Notice how the survey acted as an “in” to the student, which built trust and opened doors):
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From: **** [mailto: ****@usa.net
Sent: 11 August 2007 02:33
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: building trust w/ my student
Hi Tom,
I had a student who was more of the HYPOactive rather than the HYPERactive. I figured that if I gained his interest or his respect he was more likely to do his work.
Through Interest Inventories and simple Walk and Talks, I found out he was into skateboarding. So naturally I filled him in how I used to be a skateboarder as well. We discussed a few types of tricks and whether either of us could do them. I told him I could "ollie" which is the basic skateboarding trick to jump the board off the ground.
A few days later he brought in his skateboard for whatever reason. Later that day I was sitting at my desk grading papers when I happened to notice this student pacing back and forth in front of my desk.
I knew he was up to something but what I wasn't sure. After about 10 paces he finally stopped, looked straight at me and said, "Mr. Spears, I want to see you "ollie"! This was great! I could tell he wanted to say something. He was building up the courage to do so — and he did!
I said, "Well, I'll tell you what, you're lucky. I wore my tennis shoes today!" So I "ollied" for him. He was blown away — you should have seen his jaw hit the ground. He couldn't believe it! A teacher that could "ollie"!
From that day on he began to slowly build trust in me and began to open up. After that he would do things like pull his chair up to my desk and ask to chat, or most of the time he would have his own topic---usually politics! The point being that once I made that connection he was eager to do what he needed to do and would initiate activities on his own rather than being withdrawn and isolating himself.
He passed with flying colors this year and I vividly remember him leaving the school with a smile!
Shawn S., Ohio |
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The above email was reprinted from Page 101 of my book, How To Turn Any Disruptive Child Into Your Best Student.
Recommended Resource: How To Turn Any Disruptive Child Into Your Best Student
For a limited time, I am offering readers of this report a FREE bonus copy of my 80-minute DVD, 7 Days to a Perfect Classroom if you order a copy of my book, How To Turn Any Disruptive Child Into Your Best Student.
The video reveals new information not contained in this report series.
To read more details about the book and video, click below:
Click here DVD Special Offer
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Copyright © 2008 by Tom Daly / Smarty Pants Publications
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