Re: Can intrinsic motivation be created?

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On 12/05/11, Jim wrote:
> Thank you all so much for your wonderful and thoughtful responses.
>
> It's funny...now that my child is in middle school, I have a whole
> different perspective of teaching and motivation. I'm questioning
> everything I've ever believed and done.

I had the same experience of seeing teaching and students through an
entirely new lens when my older son went to Middle School. For one
example, when he was in 6th grade at Parents' Night, many parents
complained about the amount of homework and I wondered whyever would any
parent care about 'too much homework' - wasn't homework a good thing?

And then I saw my ordinarily very successful son struggling with his
homework - why? When I took a good look at the homework, I was surprised
to see what I'd think of as busy work. I teach Language Arts/Literature
as well as history and I saw assignments I'd never give and that no way
could be completed in the '20 minutes' his teacher had claimed. How does
anyone much less a Middle Schooler copy 20 definitions out of the
dictionary in 20 minutes?

That was just the beginning of my enlightenment. I think I became a much
better teacher for having observed my own children's experience as they
went through Middle School. I became more reflective about school and
teaching and human nature in general.

Alfie Kohn writes about homework too and I think it's one of his best books.

I try to create a classroom environment that is inviting of student
interest (but in history it's easy to do that) I try to create intrinsic
motivation in that it's possible in my classroom for all students to be
successful - but in my school that's allowed. Not every school will
allow a teacher to give all grades even if deserved. In fact, the upper
school that is the sister school to my middle school insists there be a
curve. I think 'curving grades' or contriving failure in that manner
certainly works against intrinsic motivation.
>

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