The Unmotivated Student

I said to a teacher friend the other day that I wished that I had daily shots of motivation that I could just inject into my students. Motivation..it was my biggest obstacle this year. I found myself bribing, begging, and dragging kids across the finish line.  I gave almost weekly sermons on the importance of education and tried to relate it to their daily experiences with the breakdown of how much "stuff" one could buy with a minimum wage job versus one that required higher education or training. I brought doughnuts on Fridays. I praised. I threatened. I kept a steady flow of candy for any signs of life. And at the end of the year I promised my friend..I swore to her..crossed my heart..that I would not get so emotionally invested in their success next year. But my veteran teacher friend smiled and just said, "yes, you will."

So, what motivates students? What drives one to be intrinsically motivated to do their very best while the student sitting right next to him or her just wants to know how many minutes to the bell? I think that this is a complex question with many factors to consider. Does the student find value/relevance in what you are teaching? Does the student feel competent in the subject area?  But after working in a low socio-economic and rural high school for one year, I too often have reflected on the simple model of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Are their basic needs being met? Can we realistically expect a student who fell asleep at 3 am on their friend's couch and hasn't had a good meal in two days to master algebraic equations...or even care?

The humanist, Abraham Maslow, identified five basic needs: Physiological, Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. However without the first three being met it is unlikely that the last two (where we accomplish/achieve) will ever be realized. So, what can we do as educators to help ensure that the student's basic needs are being met?  First, we need steady collaboration with other professionals in our school and community. For example, there are food programs in many areas that provide essentials for weekends/summer breaks if it is suspected that hunger is an issue in the home. And of course, we have the responsibility to collaborate with our guidance counselors and report any suspicion of neglect/abuse. But we also can actually play some part in the student's need for belonging and esteem. We have a powerful influence in how we treat students by showing them respect  and of course, as we have heard so much about in recent years, we have a responsibility in protecting them from being mistreated or "bullied" by other students.

Again, there are countless reasons for a lack of motivation. And for those that have their basic needs met, we often can dangle the carrot..or the doughnut..and nudge them until something clicks, and  hopefully they taste the sweet satisfaction of accomplishment..and want it again..just for the sake of accomplishment. This is what we want..intrinsically motivated learners. This makes educating fun and enjoyable for the teacher and the student. But first, I think, that we have to help ensure that the students are being emotionally and physically cared for so that they have the very best opportunity to learn. Of course, as instruction has to be our primary focus, what we can "fix" on our own is limited. But we can always be a voice.