Module 5

This week’s required readings focused on Motivation in Learning and Teaching (Chapter 12), Creating Learning Environments (Chapter 13) and Teaching Every Student (Chapter 14). While all three chapters are crucial in teaching chapter 12 Motivation in Learning and Teaching stood out to me. I was particularly fascinated to learn about the Five General Approaches to Motivation. These approaches not only can be used effectively in the classroom but can also be applied to all parts of our lives when raising our own kids. 

Goal Orientations is a section that in my opinion should have been longer.  The big questions that determine progress in the classroom are related to goals. In any special education meeting you will constantly hear the questions "Are goals being met? Are goals not being met? Where are we in terms of goals?" Weather studying regular education or special education when referencing children who learn differently goals are the big objective in a child’s education. This section did touch on important aspects of goals such as mastery and performance and the differences between them. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the section about Beliefs and Self-Perception.  I feel that anyone, adults included, can benefit from a healthy dose of perspective when it comes to one’s own belief and self-perception.

My favorite line from this chapter is on page 443 "Failure is not devastating; it simply indicates more work is needed" This sentence/phrase is crucial when working with kids who learn differently as they constantly face struggle and self-doubt. I love this phrase so much.  I am actually going to type this up in pretty font and place it above our family desk. I feel this phrase is powerful as it turns a negative into a positive pointing to the fact that failure is not something that is unchangeable but it is controllable and within someone’s power to change.

In the Beliefs about Self Worth section on page 445 we talk again about learn helplessness with its three “types of deficits: motivational, cognitive and affective” (pg. 445). I find this book going back to learned helplessness, self-efficacy (Pg. 444) as they are the prime culprits when a child has turned off their will to learn.   

Interests, Curiosity, Emotions and Anxiety talked about reaching children where they are by tapping into subjects of interest to gain/hold interest and keep kids motivated about the learning topic. This section also talked about an important topic, anxiety.  I have seen far too often in my own experiences the pressure put on a child only to have them then have the added layer of anxiety cripple them further.  It is crucial to create a healthy balance between goals, expectations, emotions and anxiety.

The final section of this chapter is Motivation to Learn in School: On TARGET. This section talked about tasks for learning, supporting accomplishment and teacher strategies.  I enjoyed this section as it brought everything together and gave us as teachers the knowledge on how to motivate kids who are struggling, acknowledge their efforts, give them choices and redirect them onto a positive learning path.