| The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. |
Fall 2007
Motivation is arguably the single more important factor in student learning. If students are not motivated, their interest in learning something dwindles. When students are motivated to learn, they assume the responsibility for creating their own learning. In this situation, the teacher becomes more of a facilitator rather than the source of knowledge and information. Knowledge from students’ development and diversity (INTASC Principles 2 and 3, respectively) are the most powerful motivators available. When students see how concepts apply to them personally, they have a natural curiosity to learn more about the concept.
Motivation also implies that the teacher "organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, activities, and attention to provide active and equitable engagement of students in productive tasks" (Standard 5 Performance 3). Effective use of these elements creates a climate of learning that is optimized for student learning.
Fall 2004
Without motivation there will not be any desire for students or teachers to learn new concepts. It is my responsibility to "establish[ing] a positive climate in the classroom and participate[s] in maintaining such a climate in the school as a whole" (Standard 5 Disposition 1). It is impossible for one teacher to accomplish this goal. So it is a collaborative effort on behalf of all of the teachers. Students need to be actively engaged in their learning before the learning can be most effective.
This also explains that the teacher "organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, activities, and attention to provide active and equitable engagement of students in productive tasks" (Standard 5 Performance 3). This means making the most effective use of the time available to me, as a teacher, and also of all the resources that are available. When the I use these items effectively, there should be a climate of learning that is optimized for student learning.
Motivation draws off the idea that when something is fun, students tend to learn more. When the ideas are presented in a fun or interesting manner, the students are more willing and more motivated to learn the material. Their interest has been captured and their attention is going to focus on what the concept being taught.
I feel that I will make very good use of this idea. I enjoy presenting new ideas in fun and innovative ways. Walt Disney was able to take fairy tales and tell their stories in fun and exciting ways that captivated audiences of all ages. He also used many innovative and creative ideas in his creation of Disneyland, which is why the parks are so popular. He was motivated to work extra hard on these things because he knew that the end would justify the means. For example, when I visit EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort, I learn about many exciting things because of the manner in which they are presented. In my classroom, I will use creative and innovative methods when teaching material.
In my personal experience, I found it much easier to learn material if it were actively engaging and captured my attention. It is possible to learn while having fun. One project I did in my eighth grade math class was to work in a group of two other people. Our task was to design and build a bridge that would weigh the least but support the most weight. We built scale models out of balsa wood and calculated weight capacities. Then as a class, we tested each of our bridges to the breaking point (literally) using calculated measurements to tell us what the relative weight ratios were. Through this project I learned how to calculate certain mathematical conversion problems, learned some basic principles of geometrical shapes, and how to effectively use ratios in a practical setting. I learned much more from this project than if the teacher had spent those three weeks writing massive amounts of numbers on the chalkboard and assigning much homework.