Intrinsic Motivation and Payoffs

The past week showed me that thinking about ways to motivate students when it comes to learning can be crucial for some schools.  I mean after all isn't education competitive?  We live in a society that is competitive and sometimes education falls under that category. 

After correcting multiple quizzes and seeing all the low grades I started wondering how can I make them want to study?  What can I do to get them to want 100s? But then it hit me.  Monday I stood in front of the classroom and announced what was going to be the quiz incentive.  Every week when we have a quiz if you get 100, your name will be entered into a drawing.  At the end of the unit we will pull a winning name from each class and the prize will be movie tickets or a food card.  I was glad to see that students were excited!!!  It was the reaction I wanted.  As a college student,  I believe that my wanting to do good in school in my classes comes from intrinsic motivation, but I think high schools students haven't exactly developed that. That's where my idea of extrinsic motivation came from.   It is also a strategy to help them start thinking about college where good grades are rewarded in the form of scholarships.  This talk is coming because I can attest to that. 

To end my reflection on a high note, I discovered this week that planning a lesson is hard and difficult but also rewarding.  When students tell you they want to do the lesson again, it makes you be happy about all the effort and time you put into it.  This is an incredible feeling of success!!!  It makes the whole planning while thinking about your audience be that real.  This week ends The Kite Runner book but starts a new chapter...human rights.