Chapter 11 - QTC

I think that the theories of motivation that I find most helpful and interesting are the behaviorist theories and the humanism theory. These two theories are sort of related, in my opinion, which would make sense, since humanism originally arose as a reaction to behaviorism. The behaviorist theories say that motivation arises out of a lack of something necessary to function at an optimal level. Additionally, behaviorist theories suggest that learners will behave in certain ways to achieve (or avoid) certain outcomes. This theory can enhance motivation and affect my students because they might behave better when they know they have a good outcome. If I set up certain guidelines to follow to, say, get an A on a project, they would be motivated to follow those guidelines. Also, guidelines, rather than rules or criteria, allows them to have a certain amount of autonomy which helps them be intrinsically motivated to achieve their goal. Humanism theories, on the other hand, suggest that learners desire to understand, enhance, and benefit. They have certain basic needs, such as competence and self worth, that they will want to achieve. This theory can help me in the classroom by setting up certain strategies to help them achieve these goals. I should make sure all students have the opportunity to succeed, but also give them a way to track their own accomplishments, so that they can see that they're gaining knowledge.
Understanding what motivates students is important for being a teacher because without it, you would be unable to encourage them to learn. It's important to set up a classroom environment that facilitates their learning and it is often important to set goals so students know exactly what they are working towards.