Motivation

A person can have tremendous abilities, but if they're not motivated, they're not likely to reach their full potential.  It's far too easy to do the minimum amount, to quit when things get difficult, and to take the easy route.  This is true for many students.  They come to school with many of the cognitive skills to be successful, but if they're not motivated to do their best and learn all that they can, they're not going to get the most out school.  They're likely to quit when the work becomes difficult and/or only do the minimal amount to get by.

In the beginning of the school year, I talk to my students about motivation.  We talk about the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and I give them examples of each.  I tell them that my preference is for them to be intrinsically motivated, and I think that most of them are - at least, as much as you can expect a ten-year-old to be.  Don't get me wrong, they're also highly extrinsically motivated, which is to say that they enjoy a good tangible reward for a job well done.  Who doesn't?  I'm not against offering up such rewards - even motivated adults benefit from a dangling carrot every now and them.  I just don't think material objects like a prize or a piece of candy send as powerful of a message as a good intrinsic treat for the brain.  When a student pushes themselves to be better - for the sake of being better - and they succeed, it's a thing of beauty to witness.  It makes them stronger, builds confidence, and changes the way they approach school.  

I spend a lot of time and effort trying to inspire my students to do their absolute best.  Some of my efforts are overt, like my many motivational posters or my repetition of timeless sayings: "you can lead a horse to water ..."  Other attempts to motivate my students are more subtle, like my Superstar Board where students get to put their names on a bulletin board if they give what I deem to be a "superstar" response.  It involves no other reward other than seeing their name on a bulletin board, but the students take a lot of pride in signing their star, and their faces light up when I ask them to "sign a superstar."  I've heard many students say to me that their goal is to sign a superstar or to sign the most superstars.  In other words, they're motivated!

I strive to utilize a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in my classroom.  Whether it's my Superstar Board, my classroom economy reward system, or a one-on-one conversation with a student, I constantly look for chances to motivate my students to the point where they're going to give their absolute best.  When it happens, it makes everything I do worthwhile, and it's why I believe that the best gifts I can give my students are inspiration and motivation.