Motivation

Children are born to be adept and curious learners but sadly after spending a few years in a flawed education system many students lose confidence in their ability to learn and lose interest in the process of learning altogether. Some students even seem to go to great measures to avoid learning.  They don’t realize the value of the education they are wasting. They don’t realize learning can be fascinating and empowering. 

As a teacher I want to do all I can to help my students learn to LOVE learning and learn how to become skilled learners.  I will do all I can to share my love and enthusiasm for learning with them.  I will work to present my Spanish curriculum in an engaging and interesting way. I will try to help them see that I, as their teacher, am not some power figure to be feared or resented but a partner in their personal development. I am there to guide them and to help them acquire knowledge and skills that can add great value to their lives. I will point out to them it is ultimately no skin of my back if they don’t learn but it will seriously affect them if they choose not to learn. I will teach them that the responsibility for them to learn is theirs as the student not mine as their teacher. I will teach them that they can to a large extent control their future. I will try to help them develop an intrinsic motivation to learn.

 If some are slow to develop this intrinsic motivation I will then try to motivate them extrinsically. I will always give positive and constructive feedback on their work. I will motivate them to participate and to try to speak Spanish with daily participation points that they see me keeping track.  

I will be mindful of my students’ hierarchy of needs. I will do what I can to make sure that their basic needs are met and help them get the necessary help if not.   I will strive to let them have autonomy in my class, and help them feel capable, and interconnected with myself and their peers so they can develop good self-esteem and demonstrate self-efficacy and feel confident in their abilities

I will teach them to strive for mastery goals and actually learn and understand the content and not settle for just looking good and performance goals.  I will teach them the growth mindset--that to do poorly on an assignment or test does not mean they are stupid or untalented. It just means they need to work harder or more effectively-it just means they need more practice. I will try to maintain the right balance of arousal and stress. I will try not to be overwhelmed by my high aspirations as a teacher.  While I strive to achieve my own self-actualization, I will try to help my students progress towards their own self-actualization.