Motivating and Engaging Middle and High School Students

(Grades 6-12) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 107T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC40177

Course Description

Do you struggle to get through to your students? No matter what you do and no matter how many different strategies you try, some students remain aloof and disinterested in the learning process. The fact of the matter is that both engagement and motivation are precursors to student success, but for a variety of different reasons, both tend to drop as students get older. This online course is designed for teachers in grades 6-12 who want to light that internal fire and re-ignite interest so that their students are intrinsically motivated to learn and engage. Teachers will learn about the basic framework of motivation as well as the science behind student motivation and engagement. Some of the highlighted topics include motivating students through differentiation, goal setting, and learner-centered classroom practices, all under the auspices of a rigorous classroom. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from UC San Diego Extension. For detailed information on university credit, click here.

"I found the resources extremely valuable to keep my students actively engaged. The course text is also a great resource to have on-hand for future reference." - Muriel Allen-Fields

Required Resource Book

This course has a modestly-priced required resource book (available in both new and used versions) that can be purchased through Amazon using the following link. Note that you can begin and participate in your course before the book arrives.

Empower Your Students: Tools to Inspire a Meaningful School Experience by Lauren Porosoff and Jonathan Weinstein

If you are registering for multiple courses, use the following link to access the book list for all PDI courses with direct purchase links through Amazon. PDI Course Resource Book List