Each semester or school year creates an excellent opportunity for a fresh start for learning and achieving excellence. What happens on the first day of class often sets the tone for the entire semester. Students come to class with different expectations, skills, behaviors, and motivations. Effective teachers use students’ profile to inform their teaching practices and ensure every student achieves success.

1. TEACHING WITH PURPOSE
Creating a Positive Climate For Student Success
August 19, 2017
Workshop Facilitator: Val Margarit, Ed.D

2. HELLO, NICE TO MEET YOU- I AM VAL!
• Teaching for over 15 years – passionate about empowering people – live by design NOT by
choice
• An award-winning educator, entrepreneur, author, speaker, trainer, and community leader.
• Founder and CEO of Val Margarit Consulting Services, a consulting and training
organization committed to empowerment, excellence, and achievement.
• Serves on The Professional Woman Network International Advisory Board
• Serves as President of the Homeowners Association
• Holds a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in higher education leadership, an
education specialist degree, masters and bachelors in sociology and minor in political
science.
• Her new books, WHY NOT YOU? How To Become an Empowered Woman released on
August 5, 2017 and will be available early September, 2017
• WHY NOT YOU? How to Achieve Success in College and Beyond ( Forthcoming, Dec. 2017)

3. RELAX – EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE AMAZING –
PERFECT WAY TO START THE DAY, A CLASS…A
WORKSHOP

5. WHY ARE WE HERE? WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Inform Excite Empower Involve

6. OBJECTIVES
Identify strategies to
create a positive
environment for learning
from the very first class
Identify students’
learning styles to
improve retention and
performance
Explore diverse student
behaviors that prevent
them from learning
Identify motivating
strategies to help every
student achieve their
academic goals

7. ACTIVITY – QUICK –WRITE – WHAT THESE
QUOTES MEAN TO YOU?
“EDUCATION IS A PROGRESSIVE
DISCOVERY OF OUR OWN
IGNORANCE”
-WILL DURANT
“I AM NOT A TEACHER, BUT AN
AWAKENER”
- ROBERT FROST

8. THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY
FIRST DAY OF CLASS
Email students a “welcome letter or video” one week prior to first class – what’s in it?
Syllabus – student version and university version if needed
Arrive early and ensure everything in the classroom works
Project a professional, confident, and successful instructor
Be organized, set expectations and explain how to meet them
Be enthusiastic and market the course and yourself
Welcome students as they arrive to class

9. FIRST DAY OF CLASS
7 seconds – to make a
great 1st impression

10. 1ST IMPRESSION
Appearance 55%
Voice 38%
Communication 7%

11. STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS – FIRST
DAY OF CLASS
EXCHANGING INFORMATON
• Students information index card
• Your background
• Course information
• Your teaching philosophy
• Reciprocal interview
• Learning students’ names

12. BREAKING THE ICE

13. FIRST DAY OF CLASS – SOCIAL ICEBREAKERS
Self-Introductions
Three-Step Interviews (listening skills)
Class Survey
Human Bingo

14. FIRST DAY OF CLASS – SUBJECT MATTER
ICEBREAKERS
•Classroom Assessment Techniques – CATs
•Background Knowledge Probe
•Problem Posting
•Commonsense Inventory
Project Implicit - Harvard

15. FIRST CLASS WAS A SUCCESS
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
• First Class Reflections – anonymous
• What is the most important thing you learned today?
• What changes do you expect I make to ensure your success?
• How do you plan to achieve success?
• Q & A
• Recap
• Next class assignment/reading
• Your contact information
• Thank you

16. DO YOU THINK EVERY STUDENT CAN BE
SUCCESSFUL?
Maybe we should teach the
way students learn?

17. LEARNING STYLES ARE IMPORTANT – WHAT’S
YOURS?
Most people have a learning preference
There is no “one style fits all” or one learning style better than another
Effective learners adapt to any learning situation

18. VARK LEARNING STYLES SELF- ASSESSMENT
Take assessment
http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/?p=questionnaire
What were the results?
• Visual
• Aural/Auditory
• Read/Write
• Kinesthetic
• Multimodal

19. CHARACTERISTICS OF VISUAL LEARNERS
Strong visualization skills
Prefer pictures, diagrams, maps
Have strong visual-spatial understanding
Pay close attention to the body language of others and self
Learn best from visual aids, videos, maps
Visualize information in their mind

20. CHARACTERISTICS OF AURAL/AUDITORY
LEARNERS
Recall accurately details of important information heard during conversations
Strong language skills
Strong communication skills – interesting conversations
Good with foreign languages
Learn best when interacting with others

21. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINESTHETIC LEARNERS
Work well with hands
Strong sense of timing and body movement
Good performers
Hands on learners
Learn best when physically active
Benefit from in class demonstrations and field work

22. CHARACTERISTICS OF READ/WRITE LEARNERS

23. CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIMODAL
LEARNERS

24. MOTIVATION AND LEARNING
• Motivation: DEFINITION: From the Latin verb movere (to
move).
• Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activity
is instigated and sustained.

25. ACTIVITY- QUICK –WRITE - 5 MINUTE
“When it comes to changing student behavior, the teacher
must be the primary adjustor.”
- Robert L. DeBruyn
- What do you think of this quote?
- Do you agree that teachers are more responsible for changing student behavior
than students are?
- Answer individually and then discuss your answer in your group

26. MOTIVATION - THE IDEAL SELF
• Goals are about where we want to be
• which goals we set
• which goals we value
• and which goals we have in progress
• Goals are about who we BECOME

27. MOTIVATION - THE ACTUAL SELF
• If you think you CAN, you are right; If you think you CANNOT, you are right.
What you think, you become.
• Who students think they are affects what they can and cannot do
• Self-Efficacy (whether or not they are capable of achieving a goal)
• Things that affect self-efficacy:
• Mastery experiences
• Vicarious experience (models)
• Verbal persuasion
Albert Bandura

28. WHY DO STUDENTS THINK THEY CAN OR
CAN’T CHANGE
GROWTH MINDSET
• Embrace challenges
• Persist despite obstacles
• Intelligence can be developed
• Inspired by others’ success
• I have to work harder
• Actively seek new opportunities
FIXED MINDSET
• Avoid challenges
• Give up easily
• Intelligence is static
• Scared by others’ success
• I cannot do this
• Avoid trying new things

29. INTRINSIC VS. EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION
INTRINSIC
Intrinsic motivation –
comes from within
Wanting to do
something because it
is enjoyable
Motivated by the
subject matter-related
to life and the world
Reasons to enjoy
Interest Curiosity Autonomy Competence Relatedness

30. EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION
External to
one’s feelings
about the
subject
matter
Expectations
of significant
others
Earning
potential
Stay in school
and have
someone pay
it
Promotions

31. STUDENT MOTIVATION STRATEGIES
Your Persona
• Teach with enthusiasm and energy
• Be expressive
• Explain your reason for loving the subject matter
• Make the course personal
• Get to know your students
• Convey your expectations and hold them responsible
• Use humor when appropriate
• Maintain order and civility to earn respect as well as create a positive learning environment

32. Your Course
• Develop your course with care
• Allow student a voice in it
• Collect readings, videos and other materials that are motivating
• Inform students about careers and other benefits from taking
your course
• Use group activities to interact and collaborate

33. Your Teaching
• Explain to students why you chose to teach the way you do, the activities and
assignments as well as policies
• Bring awareness to students that skill is transferable
• Make activities worthwhile and connected to the real world and their future
• Teach by inquiry ( Socrates method)
• Hold students to high expectations
• Use reinforcements and remind them that you BELIEVE they can be successful

34. Assignments and
Tests
• Build up their sense of self-efficacy (YES YOU CAN)
• Practice makes it better
• Use the learning styles and provide different assignments
• Set realistic performance goals
• Allow students options for demonstrating their learning
• Use class reflection
• Let students assess themselves
• Reduce the stress level by testing often and drop the lowest grade

35. ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END!
• Conclusion
• What are the highlights of today’s workshop?
• Lessons
• Ideas
• quotes
• What strategies are you going to implement in your classes?
• Do you/will you change your teaching style?
• What other workshops would you like to attend?

36. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AND
PARTICIPATION!

37. REFERENCES
• Linda Nilson, Teaching At Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College
Instructors, 3rd edition, Jossey-Bass Publishing, 2010.
• http://www.teachersontarget.com/Classroom%20Activities.htm
• www.artofliving.com
• www.valmargarit.com

38. RESOURCES
• SIGN UP FOR MY FREE COLLEGE SUCCESS COURSE
• BOOKS:
• WHY NOT YOU? How to Become An Empowered
Woman – Released August 2017. Sign up HERE
• WHY NOT YOU? How to Achieve Success in College and Beyond! (Forthcoming, Dec.
2017)
• Keep in touch: www.valmargarit.com

39. WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS OR KEYNOTE TOPICS
WITH VAL MARGARIT
• Your Unconscious Mind Controls Your Behavior
• Success & Self-Empowerment
• Women's Empowerment Training:
• Emotional
• Health
• Financial
• Professional
• Political
• Spiritual
• Effective Communication
• Overcome your Fear of Public Speaking
• Ultimate Strategies for Time & Energy
Management
• Complete your college degree faster and save
time and money
• Self-Esteem Strategies
• Understanding and Navigating the School System
(secondary and university levels)
• Mindset For Success - Change your mind, change
your life
• The Gender Pay Gap - Why are women still paid
less than men?
• The Power of Positive Attitude
• Stress Management
• Holistic Health & Wellness
• Cultural Diversity in the Classroom and the
Workplace