When You Give Me a Choice, You Give Me a Chance

by Joleata Tidwell-Howell

One of the most effective ways to motivate students is to give them knowledge and choice. At the beginning of the school year, I give my students a basic learning-style test, which makes them aware of their learning styles and identifies their academic strengths. This test equips the students with the self-knowledge of individual strengths as well as the self-confidence to be successful in school. This is where choice comes into play.

I do not approach every assignment with a cornucopia of choices, but I do allow choice in assessments of and culminating projects for each unit. When beginning each unit, I show the students a list of topics that I expect them to master when the unit is completed. Then, I show them examples of the various types of assessments or evidences of learning they can choose. One example is the tic-tac-toe board.

I have approached using the tic-tac-toe board in two different ways. One way, shown below, is to display a large board with different types of products that cover the range of learning styles.

The other way is to have individual tic-tac-toe boards for each of the learning styles. For instance, I may give the auditory and visual learners tic-tac-toe boards with only auditory and visual products, respectively. The spatial learner tic-tac-toe board below is a good example:

Since I teach English language arts, there are always writing components for each unit and the culminating projects. Students are excited about having the chance to choose an alternative assessment for each unit. Subsequently, I often overhear conversations in which students, who appear to have little or no motivation concerning school work, brag about what they are going to do and how great it is going to look. There is competition among the students to present the best song, play, poetry book, or scrapbook. This excitement is only found when students are confident in understanding that it is not how smart they are, but how are they smart. For my more technically advanced students, I am giving them the choice to create a website, blog, or movie. Students are much more creative and involved when they are given choices along with expectations.

Joleata Tidwell-Howell is an English teacher at Brookhaven High School in Columbus. She has taught all grades 9–12 and AP English and composition in her twelve years with the district. She is currently the literacy lead teacher and senior faculty representative.

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