Learning Revolution

The statement that we should create circumstances where people are able to show themselves is incredible. Because education is so data and test-driven, student interests are sometimes cast away and lost in the shuffle. If we do not provide students with an opportunity to utilize their natural resources, they may never tap into their full potential or discover different talents that can potentially turn into careers.

Daniel Pink (2010) identifies three factors that lead to increased performance and personal satisfaction: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He mentions that if we want engagement from people, it must be self-directed this is critical to our students in their learning experience (Pink, 2010). Guiding them in their autonomy of learning will be beneficial because they are able to hone in on their interests and specialties. I believe this also benefits their peers; if students become experts in their interests, they can then become a guide to getting their peers to master the same content areas. Next, he discusses mastery as having the urge to get better at stuff (Pink, 2010). I have observed in both children and adults that we can be competitive, even if it is simply with ourselves. Once we start something, we want to keep practicing it until we are good at it. For instance, during the COVID lockdown, I tried to get into gardening. I killed many plants in the process until I was able to figure out what works, and I did not stop until I found solutions. This will hold true for our students as well because if something interests them, they will incessantly work toward mastering it, so they can feel that sense of accomplishment. Lastly, having purpose is essential to increased performance (Pink, 2010). Children often ask “why” after almost anything, inside and outside of the classroom. They want to know why something is the way it is, and why it must be done in a certain manner, they question everything. Once they have an understanding, they are more inclined to want to engage in the content being presented. Also, people do not particularly want to do work that has zero use or is irrelevant to them. I will be making more of an effort to engage students in all three factors because we must motivate them in ways that they can relate to.

It is also imperative that we change and evolve each year as educators, whether in the classroom or in administration. One of our prompts mentions that we cannot clone a system, and I believe that is true from school year to year as well. Each year we have a new batch of students, and administrators may acquire new teachers as well. We must adjust to these changes in personalities, learning styles, and teaching styles. The way I taught my students this year, may not work for the students I will have for the 23-24 school year. It would be a disservice to my students and myself if I did not adjust how things are done and how content is presented in my classroom. These students will come with their own set of interests and motivations, and as educators, we must intentionally work to encourage their growth, however that may look.

References

Pink, Daniel (April 1, 2010). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc