Name: Gabe Camacho____________________________________________________________________________

Inquiry Focus: In what ways can I develop a learning environment that provides social emotional support for students who are lacking
self-motivation?

Data Collection Table for Inquiry Notebook

Complete this chart each week. You will include the actual data collected in a three-ring binder. Please remember that each entry
must be connected to your inquiry topic/ wondering and this notebook will be brought to seminar each week.
Date Data Collected Connection to my Inquiry (As I read the data, Next Steps (Based on this data, what will I try next to
(observation notes, field notes, what did I learn about my wondering? What stands out explore my teaching beliefs and improve my teaching
student work, CT interviews, to me as important? Cite your data, include key quotes practice? Name new ideas here)
pictures, teaching videos, course here)
readings)
10/8/ Field and Observation notes I noted the students that were answering If I can determine what students could benefit from
2020 questions, students who were looking confused or building up their self motivation, I can investigate
detached from the lesson, and the reactions from resources that can allow me to improve how the
students when they answered correctly or when students feel about themselves in school and
they were incorrect. My intent was to try and hopefully outside of school as well.
determine if the atmosphere of the classroom,
where no one is told that they are incorrect by the
teacher, provides enough motivation for the
students to be able to raise their hands to answer
questions.

10/9/ Field and Observation Using the notes that I took I spoke to my CT’s to For me, the subject matter experts are my CT’s and
2020 Notes, CT Interview determine if they have noticed the same reactions my instructors so they have had many instances
from students either current or past and if they and opportunities to have dealt with some form of
had any recommendations for how to approach inquiry like this and I am sure have built up their
this inquiry. own abilities to improve how they deal with students
self-motivation.
10/13 Teaching Video/Article https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-autonomy- This article has given me some insight to better
/2020 compliance-and-intrinsic-motivation-maurice-elias understanding what can play into students lacking
self-motivation and gave me food for thought about
how to go about beginning to create the self-
motivation atmosphere.
10/15 Field and Observation As I worked with students during small group Some of the students that I work with seek
/2020 Notes activities in both ELA and Math, I am making assistance prior to making the attempt. They
connections to students showing they can be self- generally state that they need help because it is
 Wondering: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
motivated if provided with strategies that they can
harness.
10/16 CT Interview I spoke with my Math CT regarding the students
/2020 finding strategies that they prefer. She stated that
in math she teaches the use of various strategies
first so that students can become acquainted with
them and she teacher the algorithms later so that
they can check their work. She stated that the use
of strategies builds their flexible thinking and can
build their self-confidence with respects to the
work they do.
10/16 Teaching Article https://www.edutopia.org/stw-school-turnaround-
/2020 student-engagement-video
Teaching Article https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2011/04/05/tln
_ferlazzo_2.html
10/22 Field Observation Notes During small group time in ELA, I worked with a
/2020 student who struggles with vocabulary. The
activity dealt with negative prefixes and the task
called for students to separate the prefix from the
base word. I noticed the student used his finger to
segment the two parts and I stopped the group for
a moment to praise this student and named the
strategy after him. He proceeded to complete the
activity and assisted a peer to use that strategy.
For the rest of the day he was in tune with the
hard. After I have worked with them on using
strategies that they prefer, with some prodding I
have been able to see students make attempts at
completing their work prior to asking for assistance
or they ask to work near where I do small group
work so that they can focus on their work.
My goal is to restate to the students of the use of
various strategies that they have learned and
determine which ones they prefer according to the
content. My goal is to remind the students that they
have been given various tools that will allow them to
complete their tasks. I will also establish that I am
available to assist them but they still need to make a
real attempt.
In this article it mentions Activating Strategy. Making
connections to the material being presented and
make connections to the outside world. This is a
running concept that I am focused on in all subjects.
I feel that stronger connections to real world
scenarios may assist students who may be
disconnected from the content as a whole.
Praise Effort and Specific Actions stands out to me
from the article because just praising a student in a
general way does not create a motivation to do
more work, it just motivates them to do work that
seeks praise and only correct answers. A specific
instance that is praised puts the student in control of
their learning and creates an atmosphere that
motivates them to do the work.
This was the first time that I had highlighted a
student work in a small group setting but it appears
to have given that extra motivation to make the
attempt to work that day. I will continue to use this
approach and determine what changes I can
document.
 Wondering: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

class activities.
10/29 Field and Observation I had the opportunity to work with student N from Once he made the connection with the strategy and
/2020 Notes last week but in Math this time. He and I came up how he could use it to determine rounding, he
with an invented strategy for rounding numbers. appeared to seem more in control of his thinking
Although he was not accurate with all of his work, and how to do his work. I am noticing that when I
he made the attempt to complete the task. work with him or when he is in pairs, he is involved
even if he may not be doing the math correct, he is
not just waiting to be told the answers.
11/5/ Teaching Article https://www.nbpts.org/top-5-strategies-for- Grow a community of learners is a portion of the
2020 motivating-students/ article that I have come across in the internship
classroom. My CT’s both do not hone in on errors
but they establish that it is necessary to make
mistakes and that the classmates can help each
other when they do so that they can improve. The
classroom atmosphere promotes students working
together and assisting each other with no
exclusions. Although the students may be
considered below level on paper, it does not mean
that they are not allowed to demonstrate and assist
with the knowledge that they do have.