Calendrier de motivation / Motivation Calendar

Noah's calendar - February 2012

As an assistant professor at Université Sainte-Anne, I teach a course that focuses on Classroom Management.  As most educators are well aware, classroom management is as much about facilitating and supporting successful interactions between students as it is about the physical organization of our classroom and the effective planning of our teaching and learning activities.  As a mother to an energetic, inquisitive four year old boy, I live what I like to call “Home Management”.  Like a classroom, I try to facilitate and support successful interactions between my son, my husband, our two cats, and all and any guests to our home. 

I know that this sounds a bit “micro-management”, but please, bare with me....Any mothers that are reading this can relate...we try to help everyone get along and help each other while trying to have our home  “attractive” and “organized” and while trying to organize family activities.   This is far from a new phenomenon; women (and many fellas!) have been doing this for years.   Here are some other time-old statements that have been used to keep the family interacting and behaving appropriately:

·         “If I have to stop this car....”

·         “I am going to count to three, and then you better have....”

·         “If I asked you once, I have asked you a thousand times....”

·         “Just wait until your father/mother/grandfather, etc. gets home and hears about this...”

·         “Can’t we all just get along?”

·         “If you do _____________ one more time, you are going to lose ______________.”

·         “You better change your tune pretty quick, or you’re in big trouble.”

·         “Are you listening to me?”

·         “What examples are you setting for your brothers and sisters?”

·         “If he/she jumped off a bridge....”

·         ....and one of my favourites.... “This is a (name the family activity), and you are going to have fun”.

·         Feel free to add your favourites...

Now, I am typing these sayings in the most harmless of tones....most of us has heard one or more of these sayings in our life.  And, some of us have actually said it to our own child or children.  However, we (my husband and I) have started using a more visual method to help our son along in his behavioural development – his motivation calendar.

I received this calendar as a Christmas gift from my goddaughter (her Mom is a teacher too!).  Each month targets a specific area where one might like to adjust their behaviour or their habits.  Our son, as most four year olds, has started trying to strut his independence with us.  This is okay.  However, trying to run the house....and other people’s houses....this is not okay.  As previously stated, with my Type A personality, I have assumed the role of Home Manager.  The motivation calendar has helped my son develop his independence while learning other important behaviours. 

Here is how the calendar works.  At the beginning of each month, we (me, husband, and son) look at the month’s theme and goals.  We identify which goals apply to our son because he has already achieved some of the goals identified on the calendar.  We try to limit these goals to one or two because we like to add another goal or two of our own that is not on the page.  For February, the calendar focused on nutrition.  We (me, husband, and son) selected two goals:

1.        I will sit at the table for the entire meal.

Sitting at the table for an entire meal is a challenge for myself and my son; it is something that we can both work on.

2.       I will try new food. 

My son is not a picky eater, but like most four year olds, he is not the most open to trying something new...or even a food he already likes, cooked in a different way.  Again, this is a goal that I can work on too.  My husband, on the other hand, will try anything!)

Then, we added another goal that did not have to do with nutrition. 

3     I will not interrupt someone when they are speaking. 

This is a biggie for anyone....and we don’t expect it to be finished this month...or any month.  It is more of an “awareness” goal.  We will add on to this over the next couple of months so we (all of us) can learn how to get one another’s attention without interrupting them while they are talking to someone else.

To determine how he is doing in regards to meeting his goals, my son has developed a sticker system.  Blue means that he had a good day, green means that it was an okay day with a few bumps in the road, and red means that it was not a good day at all.  At the end of each day, we ask our son, “So, what colour do you think you had today?” He tells us the colour, and then he has to tell us why he thinks it is that colour.  When my husband comes back from being away at work, he and our son discuss the week’s sticker colours. 

Since we have begun using this system, all I can say is “Wow!”.  Our son never had any serious behavioural issues, but he displayed the typical behaviour for his age.  It was the disciplining part that was not fun.  I realize that it is not supposed to be fun, but I do think that it can be done in a more productive, effective manner than just delving out threats and singing praises.  Being aware of one’s behaviour (at any age!) makes one responsible for their actions.  Individuals can choose how they behave and how they react in certain situations if they are aware of what they are feeling and how they are reacting appropriately or inappropriately.  This calendar has helped us do just this with our son.  He knows what he is doing right and what he has to work on (for his age, of course!).

A similar calendar can be used in the classroom to help students develop a sense of behavioural awareness.  It can be used as part of an individual program plan or by an entire class.  The visual feedback can help students develop a more refined, specific awareness of their actions and reactions.  The establishment of small goals in a specific timeframe supports the development of this awareness.  This information could then be shared and carried through at home so as to support school-home relationships and interactions.  

....Now, if I could just have the same calendar for me.