Reflective Principal: Purposeful Motivation

By Lisa Kline Principal, March/April 2014 Meet Jimmy, a sixth-grade student who just moved into the area. He had been retained and rarely volunteered to participate in class. His negative attitude toward learning and just being in school permeated his very being. And I was his teacher. My attempts to coax him to learn were met with groans and glares. But I never wavered in my attempts to engage him, despite his determination to not be a part of the class.