Blog # 7

Motivation is such a key element in student's learning and being successful in the classroom. I believe it is so incredibly important as a teacher to help guide students in being motivated and helping students develop their own intrinsic desires for motivation. Teachers can help students do this by their means of reinforcement or a reward system. I think it is so important to know the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and motivation and my goal as a teacher is to have a healthy balance between the two. I believe it is essential for students to develop and have an intrinsic motivation in which they can find an internal interest or self enjoyment to do something versus being bribed or forced to apply or do something in the classroom. For example a student who enjoys reading center because they have a natural curiosity for learning about everything they will intrinsically desire and be motivated to read on their own instead of being extrinsically motivated through prizes, reading charts, and points. At time extrinsic motivation can be helpful because I believe at times students should receive outside praise or treats for things they do outside or in class. For example giving all students a pencil if the whole class is good for a guest speaker. However, I believe there does need to be a balance and motivation is so important and misuse of extrinsic rewards with no intrinsic motivation is not going to be beneficial to your students.