Student Motivation Techniques

𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁 Law school is already demanding. Add internships, studying, and personal life into the mix, and it becomes a never-ending cycle of work. I pushed myself to the limit until I ended up in the hospital a few months back. There were days when I had so much to do that I froze. I procrastinated the whole day out of sheer overwhelm. By the time it was 10:30 p.m., I realized I had done nothing, which only made things worse. I even missed family events and important moments because I thought, "𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞." But the truth is that we do have time *we’re just not managing it right.* So, here are some uncommon ways to stay productive without burning out. 1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑-𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 Instead of trying to study the whole day, dedicate only three hours to deep, focused work. No distractions. No phone. No multitasking. Three hyper-productive hours are better than ten scattered ones. Works wonders trust me :) 2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐎𝐧𝐞-𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤’ 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 If you’re overwhelmed, write the next step of your task in one sentence. Not "Draft a research paper" that’s too vague. Write: "Write the first 50 words of my research paper." Breaking things down like this makes it easier to start. 3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 ‘𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟎’ 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 Before skipping a family event or social gathering for work, ask yourself: Will this matter in 10 days? 10 months? 10 years? Not everything is urgent. Some things can wait. 4. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Instead of "I’ll do this later," tell yourself, "I’ll procrastinate later." Start the task in just 5 minutes. Most of the time, you’ll end up doing more than 5 minutes. 6. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐎𝐧𝐞-𝐎𝐟𝐟’ 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 If you’re burnt out, take a one-off break. Not every weekend, not every day just one guilt-free, planned day off to recharge. No work, no studies just rest. Because sometimes, doing nothing is the most productive thing you can do. Law school is tough. But we can be smart about how we manage it. What are some of your best productivity hacks? Let’s share and learn from each other.

“When a teacher believes in a child, that child starts to believe in themselves.” I’ve always believed that the greatest superpower a teacher has isn’t knowledge, or even skill, it’s belief. The belief that every child has greatness within them, waiting to be noticed, nurtured, and named. Back in the 1960s, psychologists Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson ran a study that changed the way we think about teaching. They told teachers that a few children in their class were about to have a huge leap in intelligence. The catch? Those children were chosen completely at random. But by the end of the year, those very children really had made remarkable progress. Why? Because their teachers believed they would. That’s called the Pygmalion effect, the idea that positive expectations lead to positive outcomes. But there’s a flip side too – the Golem effect, when low expectations quietly limit a child’s growth. Every interaction we have with our students is a mirror reflecting back to them who they think they are. The way we speak, smile, and respond tells them what we expect. And they rise (or shrink) to meet it. Here are four ways to bring the Pygmalion effect to life in your classroom: 1. Expect effort, not perfection - Praise persistence and progress. When children know you value the journey, not just the destination, they’ll take more risks and grow faster. 2. Speak belief out loud - Tell students what you see in them: “I can tell you’re thinking deeply about this,” or “I trust you to figure this out.” Those words plant roots that run deep. 3. Offer responsibility - Give every child a role or a moment to lead. When they feel trusted, their confidence becomes the engine for learning. 4. Catch them doing good - Notice the quiet acts of kindness, curiosity, or resilience. Recognition for who they are becoming is far more powerful than reward for what they’ve done. The truth is, children become what they see reflected in our eyes. When we look at them through a lens of hope, potential, and possibility, they begin to live up to it. #Education #Montessori #Teacher #Teaching #Children #TeacherTraining

🌍𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬: 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟏𝟎 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭🌟 Empowering students through #Learner #Agency is essential for fostering #independence, #motivation, and #engagement in the IB PYP classroom.  🌟 Here are the top 10 strategies to effectively incorporate Learner Agency and create a dynamic, student-centered learning environment: *𝟏. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: Design boards with a variety of activities and tasks related to the current unit. Allow students to choose the ones that align with their interests and learning styles. *𝟐. 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Encourage students to ask questions, conduct investigations, and explore topics of interest. This approach helps them take an active role in their learning process. *𝟑. 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐋𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬: Facilitate regular conferences where students present their learning progress, reflect on their achievements, and set personal goals. This promotes self-assessment and ownership. *𝟒. 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤: Allow students to form their own groups based on their interests and skills. This flexibility fosters collaboration and enhances peer learning. *𝟓. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬: Develop individualized learning plans that cater to each student’s strengths, interests, and needs. Tailoring learning experiences increases engagement and motivation. *𝟔. 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Guide students in setting their own learning goals and reflecting on their progress. This practice helps them develop self-regulation and accountability. *𝟕. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞: Involve students in decision-making processes related to classroom rules, projects, and activities. This inclusion promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility. *𝟖. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Implement projects that allow students to explore real-world problems and solutions. This hands-on approach encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills. *𝟗. 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Provide options for how students demonstrate their learning, such as through presentations, written reports, or creative projects. This flexibility respects individual learning preferences. **𝟏𝟎. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: Create opportunities for students to work together on tasks and projects. Collaborative learning enhances communication skills and fosters a sense of community. By integrating these strategies, you can enhance Learner Agency in your #IB #PYP #classroom, leading to more engaged and empowered students. 🌍✨𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰! 👇 #LearnerAgency #StudentEmpowerment #IBPYP #EmpoweringLearners #PYPStrategies #TransformativeEducation #AgencyInAction #independence #motivation #engagementv

Your Law School Result is a Moment, not a Destiny! In recent weeks, my feed has been filled with posts from graduates of the Nigerian Law School. Some celebrated a 1st-class degree, while those with a 2nd-class Upper shared theirs also. There were fewer posts from those with 2nd-class Lower or Pass grades, often starting with regret, followed by a soft note of gratitude.   Out of a class of about 7,000, only 260 made 1st-class. That’s 3.6%. These numbers are humbling. While we must applaud the brilliant minds who achieved this distinction, we must also pause to reflect.   A 1st-class is a wonderful achievement. But it does not define you. It is not a prophecy of greatness. Nor is a lower grade a sentence to mediocrity.   I say this as someone who has spent decades in the profession, from early practice to leading a firm. I’ve watched brilliant legal careers unfold in unexpected ways. Some of the finest lawyers I know didn’t top their class. They outworked, outgrew, and outlasted others. Yes, firms like mine use a minimum of a 2nd-class Upper as an initial screening criterion; to be clear, it is not a verdict on your future.   If you didn’t make the grade you hoped for or didn’t pass, feel the weight of disappointment, then lift your head. That result sheet is not the end of your story.   Your career is not made in a day or defined by a single result. It’s built on character, mindset, and grit. Shaped in the quiet moments when no one is watching, when you show initiative, show up with consistency, and choose growth consistently.   Wherever you’re starting from, know this: you can build a career you’re deeply proud of. Here are a few tips: 1. Stay Humble Whether you earned a 1st Class or a Pass, approach the next phase with a learner’s heart. The law is vast. There is always more to know.   2. Show Up Ready to Serve Excellence in law is service-driven. Be the person your team can count on. Integrity, reliability, and kindness go further than you imagine.   3. Embrace Feedback Growth comes from correction. Don’t take it personally. Let it sharpen your skills and deepen your wisdom.   4. Master Your Craft Writing, research, critical thinking, and commercial awareness are your daily tools. Sharpen them relentlessly, and develop depth and breadth.   5. Be Curious, Not Entitled Stay curious. The world owes you nothing, but it is open to those who ask, seek, and knock.   6. Be Resilient You will face setbacks. Everyone does. What counts is your bounce-back. Keep going. Keep growing.   7. Remember Your “Why” Law is more than a job. It’s a calling to justice, advocacy, and societal impact. Keep your purpose in view.   8. Believe in the Long Game Great careers are marathons, not sprints. Your start may be slow, but your finish can still be glorious.   To every graduate reading this: Well done. You’ve crossed an important threshold. Now, build. Grow. Serve. Lead. And wherever you stand on the grading scale, never stop believing in what you can become.

“Law is for EXTROVERTS only” And yet, here I am. 🔸An introvert. 🔸Who hated speaking up in class. 🔸Who would rehearse saying ‘present sir’ in attendance in my first semester Later? ✅ I argued in moot courts, ✅ Won multiple law based competitions, ✅ Handled clients, ✅ Built a legal career I love. So… what changed? But first— Let’s talk about you. If you’re an introvert in law school….... You’ve probably wondered: “Is law even made for someone like me?” Everyone around seems louder, bolder, more confident. They network like it’s their second language. And you? You overthink replying to a WhatsApp group text. Relatable? I thought law needed me to transform into an extrovert. But you know what's the truth: Law doesn’t need you to be loud. It needs you to be: ✅ precise. ✅ Calm. ✅ Thoughtful. Introvert superpowers, basically. Don’t believe me? 👉 Abhishek Manu Singhvi is an introvert. 👉 So is Gopal Subramanium. 👉 And even Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud once admitted: “I’m more comfortable in books than at parties.” So no, you don’t need to change who you are. You just need to channel it strategically. How? Here’s what helped me (and can help you too): 1⃣ Prepare more than most. When you’re not loud, your content has to be gold. I prepped my moot arguments 10x more than my peers. Silence isn’t a flaw. It's your thinking time. 2⃣ Start with writing. Introverts think well on paper. Start a blog. Draft that legal opinion. Even LinkedIn posts (like this one) can become your stage. 3⃣ One-on-one networking > Room of 50. I stopped forcing myself into crowded events. Instead, I reached out to seniors on LinkedIn. Built solid connections-quietly. 4⃣ Practice low-stakes speaking. Start small. Class presentations. Online debates. Each tiny win adds up. 5⃣ Lean into your calm. In heated arguments, the calmest voice wins. Introverts thrive under pressure because they don’t react impulsively. You don’t need to be the loudest in the room. You just need to make sense when you speak. And the good news? That’s learnable. Trainable. Doable. If I can go from whispering “present sir” to presenting arguments in front of judges— So can you. Quiet doesn’t mean incapable. Introvert doesn’t mean inferior. And law isn’t just for the loud—it’s for the thoughtful. If you're an introvert trying to navigate law school or the legal profession, I'm here to assist you. I'm organizing a FREE WEBINAR for all law students who think they're introverts and cannot survive law school grind. The webinar will include actionable tips and career guidance for you all. I'll take 50 questions as well from the attendees. Follow me & comment “INTROVERT” in the comments. I'll send you Google meet link in your DM on 30th April 2025 (Wed) Webinar time will be 7:30 PM. Let’s build a tribe where silence is strength. Because some of the most powerful lawyers speak less. But say more. #lawstudents #freewebinar #publicspeaking #introverts

I wish someone had told me this in my first year of law school... • I wasted time chasing grades, thinking they’d define my legal career. • I thought internships were for later not realizing I was already running late. • I believed freelancing, networking, and personal branding were only for toppers or seniors. • I waited too long to explore what I truly enjoy in law. But here’s the truth... You’ve got time, but not forever. 📌#10 Underrated Yet Game-Changing Reminders for Every First-Year Law Student: 1. Work on your skills, not just your syllabus. → Legal research, writing, reading judgments, communication, tech tools start slow, but start now. 2. Explore every subject beyond the classroom. → Don’t limit yourself to what’s taugh read blogs, judgments, and newsletters. → You’ll discover what actually excites you. 3. Intern smart, don’t just intern early. → Start with virtual internships, NGOs, legal awareness cells anything that helps you observe how the legal field works. 4. Marks aren’t everything but consistency is. → Aim for decent grades, but don’t kill your curiosity for it. → Balance matters. 5. Freelancing is real. Clients are real. Income is real. → If you know basic drafting, researching, or even content writing you can earn and learn right from your dorm room. 6. Litigation is not the only path. → In-house roles, legal tech, compliance, IP, privacy law, policy research, legal design, AI & law the world is expanding. → So should your perspective. 7. Network beyond your classroom. → Connect with seniors, mentors, advocates, and students on LinkedIn. → Just one conversation can shift your whole mindset. 📌(Last 3 in comment section) First year is a gift and not a race. It’s your safest year to experiment, mess up, grow, and rise. So, use it. Don’t scroll past this post and forget it. If this post struck a chord or made you pause.. ♻️Reshare with your network !! Or drop a ❤️ in the comments if you wish you had known this earlier too. → Let’s not gatekeep good advice. → Let’s build a more aware and empowered legal community starting with you. #LawStudent #PersonalBranding #LinkedInForLawStudents #LinkedInPost

Empowering Student Agency Through Choice Boards In the Primary Years Programme (PYP), student agency and voice are central to learning. One effective tool that supports agency, differentiation, and inquiry-based learning is the Choice Board. A choice board is a grid of activities aligned with specific learning outcomes that allows students to select the task(s) they find most meaningful or engaging. By offering structured options, choice boards empower learners to take ownership of their learning while still working toward common goals. Why Choice Boards? Choice boards provide a framework that balances student voice and choice with curriculum requirements. They: Encourage students to learn in ways that reflect their interests, readiness, and learning styles. Allow teachers to differentiate tasks without lowering expectations. Foster skills across the Approaches to Learning (ATL) framework, such as thinking, communication, and self-management. Promote agency by giving students responsibility for selecting how they demonstrate their understanding. Linking to Bloom’s Taxonomy In our PYP classrooms, we design choice boards using Bloom’s Taxonomy to ensure tasks range from foundational to higher-order thinking. This ensures that all learners can engage meaningfully, while also challenging them to extend their thinking. For example, in our “Human Body Systems” unit, students may: Remember: Label a diagram of the body. Understand: Explain how the digestive system supports survival. Apply: Keep a food and exercise journal to analyze the impact on body systems. Analyze: Compare two systems to see how they work together. Evaluate: Debate which system is “most important.” Create: Design a superhero with an extra-strong system. Similarly, in our “Role Models” unit, learners reflect on qualities of role models, compare real-life figures, write persuasive pieces, or design their own “Role Model Award Certificate.” In the “Children’s Rights” unit, activities may include analyzing cause-and-effect chains of rights being denied, creating campaigns for awareness, or designing comics of a “Rights Protector” superhero. For younger learners in Grade 1, the “Healthy Lifestyle Choices” choice board includes age-appropriate tasks like sorting healthy vs. unhealthy foods, acting out exercises, or making a “Healthy Hero” poster. Finally, in our “Identities” unit, choice board activities invite students to reflect on their personal and cultural identity, compare changes over time, judge influences such as family and peers, and create artistic representations of “This is Me.” A Step Toward Lifelong Learning By integrating choice boards into our units of inquiry, we not only meet curriculum expectations but also honor the individuality of every child. Students learn that there are many ways to explore ideas and express understanding — a crucial step in nurturing lifelong learners who are reflective, open-minded, and empowered to act.

January is hard for law students especially 1Ls who didn't do quite as well on their exams as they had hoped. But all is not lost. Seriously. Take a new approach: 1. Be Kind to Yourself and Zoom Out. It is OK to be disappointed about your performance on a single exam or even a single semester of exams. Let yourself be disappointed but then try to zoom out. One class is 3 maybe 4 credits. A semester is maybe 12-16. Your ultimate GPA will be determined by 80+. As that denominator increases the effect of any single grade will go down. 2. Learn from It. The last thing you want to do if you feel like you didn’t succeed is to think about it more. But less successful attempts can give you an incomparable window on ways to improve. Ask questions like: was it a studying problem? An answer format problem? A nerves problem? And if you don’t know why try to read best exams, feedback memos, or even talk to the professor. Chances are if you don’t change and adapt you’ll be back in the same place next semester. 3. Double-down on What Worked. Look back to your process from reading, to preparing for class, to outlining, to taking the exam and ask yourself what worked. What actually helped you on the exam and what can you account for your success. Did you waste time making overly detailed case briefs? Did you really benefit from practice exams? Do more of what worked and less of what didn’t. 4. Move Forward with a Plan. For so many 1Ls especially the first semester is a lot of trial and error—and that makes sense! Second semester is a chance to identify what you can do less of, what you can do more of and just execute that plan. I recommend planning on the semester level (what will I do each week) and the weekly level (what will I do each day of the upcoming week). Put it on your calendar and if there is too much to put on don’t try to cram it in—schedule less. 5. Don’t Lose Your Excitement. You decided to go to law school for a reason. Don’t lose sight of that reason. It will help motivate you as you keep going. Those reasons can change (mine certainly did) but don’t let them change because others in your class said so. 6. Run Your Own Race. The curve makes law students feel like success is relative to your classmates. That is misleading. The curve is not going away for any individual class. BUT each semester, each year, and your career is not on a global curve. The only person you are racing against is yourself. There will be good days (and semesters) and bad ones. But progress is something that must be judged internally not externally. 7. See this Semester as an Opportunity and Not a Chore. How many times in life do we get a second chance right after our first one? This semester is a literal start from scratch. Top of class / bottom of class has no bearing on how this semester will go. Want to find yourself in a different place then make a different plan.

When can help hurt? The education research literature is filled with examples of good intentions undermining student outcomes. A pair of recent articles highlight the potentially negative impacts of efforts to support students when those efforts unintentionally undermine motivation. The use of praise in the classroom is sometimes used as a reward for students, encouraging deeper engagement, but when the praise doesn’t match the effort it has the opposite effect. For example, “when a child from a low-SES…background succeeded in school, teachers attributed this success more to hard work and delivered more inflated praise (e.g., “You did incredibly well!”) but less modest praise (e.g., “You did well!”)” to higher-SES students”. While this might initially increase that student’s motivation, the class as a whole noticed these instances of inflated praise and subsequently “perceived this child as less smart but more hardworking”. In the long run, this perception influences the original child’s own self-perception and sense of competence. https://lnkd.in/gazeV48j That feedback loop from teacher to class to student runs not just through praise but even help offered by classmates. Students clearly understand that peers can learn more from “hints vs. …correct answers”, but the hints are reserved for classmates perceived “more competent”. Where the “competent peers” receive hints, “incompetent peers” only get “direct answers”. These cycles of differential praise and help ends up undermining learner motivation and exaggerating preexisting differences within the classroom. https://lnkd.in/gRBwepGa Rather than trying to build motivation on praise or comparisons or gamification, build into students a belief that their hard work will pay off. Read more at https://wwww.socos.org.

✨ A Roadmap for Student Agency in the Classroom ✨ One of the most powerful shifts I’ve seen in my teaching career is when students move from compliance ➝ engagement ➝ ownership. In IB schools, we often talk about “agency,” but what does it actually look like in practice? And how can we intentionally scaffold the journey so students build autonomy without feeling abandoned? Here’s a simple timeline for developing agency, connected to the IB Learner Profile: 🌲 Phase 1 – Supported Choices (Risk-Takers & Inquirers) Teacher provides clear structures, routines, and guided choices. Example: During inquiry, students choose between 2–3 research questions designed by the teacher. Students are learning how to make meaningful decisions. 🌲 Phase 2 – Shared Ownership (Communicators & Principled) Teacher and students co-create goals, norms, and success criteria. Example: Class develops essential agreements together, reflecting on how they connect to the Learner Profile. Students begin to take responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks. 🌲 Phase 3 – Independent Voice (Thinkers & Open-Minded) Students generate their own questions, set personal learning goals, and self-assess using rubrics. Example: In a UOI, groups select a global issue, design an action plan, and present solutions to peers. Teacher role shifts to coach and facilitator. 🌲 Phase 4 – Collective Action (Caring & Balanced) Agency extends beyond the classroom. Students act, advocate, and reflect on their impact. Example: Students identify a local issue (e.g., waste in the cafeteria) and lead initiatives to address it. They see themselves as change agents, not just learners. 🌱 Student agency is not an “all or nothing” switch—it’s a continuum. Each step matters, and each phase requires us as teachers to trust, scaffold, and celebrate progress. 👉 Question for fellow educators: How do you intentionally build agency in your classroom? What does your timeline look like? #StudentAgency #StudentVoice #EducationLeadership #PYP #MYP #DP #IBWorldSchools #IBLearnerProfile #InquiryBasedLearning #TeachingAndLearning #EducationalLeadership #FutureOfEducation #StudentOwnership #WholeChildEducation #GlobalCitizenship #TeacherLeadership #Pedagogy #InstructionalLeadership #InnovationInEducation #TransformingEducation #ClassroomCulture #EducatorMindset #EdLeadership #TeacherAgency