Motivation

When reading about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, one paragraph in particular really stood out. I feel at one point in my life I was pushed to learn by intrinsic motivation, elementary and middle school...when everything was new and exciting. As I got older, I feel it switched to extrinsic motivation. I didn't really think about it or realize it until I read this on page 364 of our text:

"As students get older, they are increasingly reminded of the importance of good grades (extrinsic motivators) for promotion, graduation, and college admission, causing them to focus their efforts on earning high grade point average. Furthermore, they become more cognitively able to set and strive for long-term goals, and they begin to evaluate school subjects in terms of their relevance to such goals, rather than in terms of any intrinsic appeal. In addition, students may grow increasingly impatient with the overly structured, repetitive, and boring activities they often encounter at school...". 

I hate to type all of that on here, but I couldn't put into better words. All the way through middle school, I feel that I was intrinsically motivated. Even classes that were not my typical interest, I tried to learn something about it..just because. In high school, I feel the pressure for good grades and college admission are a huge factor. The work load increases, even obtaining a job for gas money, etc. makes students prioritize. It's not all about learning anymore. It's making great grades so you can go to college and get a good job. My family divorced my freshman year of high school, and I feel that affected my motivation a great deal. I will keep diversities like this in my mind when I am a teacher. It is important that we, as educators, understand that a lot of our students are going through more than just their homework assignment, and most of them have performance goals to ultimately get them where they need to be in life to support themselves. This class is unlike any one I've ever taken. It doesn't seem natural to not worry about my grade and only focus on learning. It is kind of a breath of fresh air!