On Motivation

“Very Good!”...or if not satisfyingly correct, “Partly, you have an idea there. It’s good you tried”. These are supposed to be the best possible response a teacher could use in getting through steering students’ interest without frustrating them and getting their toes up every time they’re asked. But what really is MOTIVATION? Does it entail being ‘affective’ upon the accomplishment of tasks or the entire instructions? Or shall we put the blame on our lack of putting a dash of morale boosters on our comments?

Motivation has been defined, conceptualized and given attention to by many educational psychologists and practiced by numerous educators trying to solve myths and misgivings in its employment inside and outside the classroom. Factors ranging from anxiety to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs were given equal attention. As a common person, specifically, a single parent, I do a lot of things everyday-from preparing breakfast early in the morning to making sure that my kids “can” go to school. Other side of me would be enjoying a glass of wine at dinnertime, watching BBC,CNN, pursuing Dance classes twice a week, and others. I do a lot of things behind a lot of reasons. What drives me to do such acts may be with a reason that I need to have to DO it.

In the class of fledglings (first year College students), I have come to compare the level of initiative they have over getting through College (their motivation) with mine. Is mine on another plane? Being on their formative stage, their first experiences of college is a ‘make or break’ for teachers to happen. Being extremely nice and always patient with them sometimes doesn’t work. Was it the intrinsic being beaten by the extrinsic? or the realization of the importance of getting a degree not sinking yet into their system? I was always told to incorporate values on my lessons- an occasional personal recount or stories, I know this would sometimes work (as far as my judgment is concerned) but sometimes I have to be brutally frank. Like for instance, a group of “repeaters” in your class would really make your day- they come in 30 minutes late, talk with themselves and pretend joining in grouped activities. When asked about what they think the activity was all about, they would just give you that weak shoulder shrug and that please-forgive-me-for-I-was-late look. Classroom menaces as they are, they sometimes affect the classroom “temperature” and would really test your years of acquired principles in teaching. What reinforcement do I need to employ? I would then ask my self. I opted for the direct, quite negative and started my admonition. The whole class was quiet like they have never seen me become agitated before. I pleaded to these matured delinquents not to influence the freshmen. I was scared they might think coming to class late and not participating as “cool”. They eventually, came to me and apologized after class. I gave them a pat on the back by saying, “ Make good in life. For how long can you stay young and enjoy all these…” They left the room and I felt that it was quite an effective reinforcement. They come to class on time now and participate in whatever activities I give.

MOTIVATION can sometimes put us in deceit. It may not come from us teachers but it is something that may come from a long, sometimes sudden twist of maturity. I cannot compare my motivation to work everyday with my students on their attitude towards school. I continue on giving hopes to them. For as long as I can reply to a wrong answer, impinging a false hope may not harm… For always there would come a time that they would realize it for themselves. I hope not to fall on the usual cliché that “learning” is truly a painful one.

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