Insights into Student Motivation

During a recent interview with TLN member Susan Graham, the New York-based "TeachersCount" organization asked: What are the specific techniques that can increase student motivation?

Susan replied:
   

"Wouldn’t it be great if there was a right answer to this question? The reality is that there are as many techniques to motivate as there are students to be motivated.

"Maslow, the great theorist about human personality, had it right—every human response is tied to addressing some need. Motivation is directly connected to meeting needs and we all have different needs, so motivation is really a pretty individual matter. Sometimes teachers struggle because they get so caught up in asking themselves, “How can I get these kids to do what I need or want them to do?” The more effective question might be 'How can I present these concepts, skills and understandings as a solution to the needs of these kids?'

"Knowing what individual students need requires knowing students as individuals, and I think this might lay at the root of small class size discussions. With homogeneous groups, the needs may be somewhat similar, but with diverse groups of children, differentiation is not just about ability level or learning styles, it must also address diversity in the value systems and goals of those students."

Read the entire interview with Susan, a middle grades FACS teacher and former Virginia regional teacher of the year. You'll also find other interviews with TLN members at the TeachersCount website, on these topics: pay for performance and arts education (Nancy Flanagan); culturally engaged instruction (Renee Moore); and teacher leadership (Betsy Rogers).