Contribution
to the Learning Resources
Personal
Experience:
In elementary school is where my motivation started. In the classroom to in the Òreal worldÓ as I knew it motivation was everywhere. However, after I would fail at an assignment my motivation levels would differ from time to time. If it were an assignment such as spelling or something else I was good at, my motivation would grow for the next time around, but if the assignment were to be something like science or math, which I lacked in, I wouldnÕt try as hard as the first time because I knew I wouldnÕt do well. This carried on from elementary school to high school, and I have even noticed it sometimes throughout my college career. I would often wonder why I couldnÕt bring myself to study pr try harder for all subjects but could never figure it out. That problem still exists for me today, and has been a bit of a problem, unfortunately!
Personal
Experience 2:
I currently work at a learning center/ daycare, and I am a teacher assistant in the Jr. Kindergarten room and I have watched some of my students grow academically and socially. When we do activities there are several children, about 7-9 or so, who show a lack of motivation to do anything educational. They would rather play than do anything art wise or learning wise. Once we get the chance to sit them down and try to encourage them to do the activity they start with a high sense of motivation but as time goes on they start to lose focus; and when cutting is involved they always ask ÒWhy canÕt I cut like you?Ó (In reference to the way I cut) I tell them they can as long as they practice and keep trying without giving up. They start up again, and then a short period later their motivation drops again and they start to ask me to cut it for them. Since they are about to be in Kindergarten in the fall we do not do their cutting or coloring or name writing for them because the majority of the class can accomplish all these things when they try. I just sit there and tell them to keep trying, keep up the good work, and other motivating words. then there is another set of kids in my class who are extremely motivated to do everything perfect and right that they get so frustrated when they canÕt do something as well as they want to. Like one little girl, who was writing about her and a friend who like to play babies. She was using letters that were somewhat un-common, like a ÒWÓ, and she kept adding a line or making it an ÒMÓ and she was getting so frustrated, but you could see how motivated she was to get it right. Then her mom showed up, and the motivation went up a notch because she wanted to show her mom what a great job she was doing. She started this activity over about 3-4 times, and was just so concentrated on getting it right! She finally finished and it was almost perfect, and she was so proud. I just could not believe how motivated she was to complete the worksheet and no matter how many times she had to start over her motivation level stayed the same or got higher each time.