Get Your Students Hired
Intrinsically, I am motivated to impart my subject matter knowledge on to those that will apply it during their professional career. This is very rewarding to me.
Extrinsically I am motivated by the ability to be recognized within my University as a Senior Instructor which represents only 15% of the current faculty, and to receive specific certifications that place my credentials ahead of the majority.
Great point Michael. Really like that you included student graduation as a point of focus and your own sense of accomplishment. Instructors need to take ownership of the graduation milestone and constantly evaluate the role they play in this critical outcome.
Regards,
James Jackson
I experience a feeling of accomplishment at the moment that I realize that the students "got it". I feel rewarded when I witness the fruit of my labor, i.e., the students graduate. I am highly motivated by professional accolades from my supervisors and peers.
Thanks for the feedback Caryn. Receiving thanks and messages from your prior students is a huge motivator. At least I can say this is the case for me and my experiences. I get very emotional at times when I receive messages from students thanking me for sticking with them and assisting them through difficult topics. It really hits home when I attend graduation ceremonies and they mention me by name at their graduation. No amount of money can replace that feeling.
Regards,
James Jackson
Awesome experience Jennifer. I cannot think of anything more exciting than to hear of students being so interested in a topic at school that they discuss it with their internal network. Such situations really inspire both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for students and can really be used to enhance persistence.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
James Jackson
Thanks for your response Michael. Wow, producing a learning outcome in 12 days and with life altering consequences none the less. How exciting it must be for you to see your students move forward and tackle their fears. Looks to me that you get to see the results of your efforts on a consistent basis. Being recognized by peers and by successful students is a very powerful motivator.
Regards,
James Jackson
Deborah, if you were in a financial situation where you did not need to teach to earn a paycheck, what do you see yourself doing each day for fulfillment?
Thanks for anything you can share.
Regards,
James Jackson
Thanks for sharing Meribeth. I agree that the small things can sometimes make a huge difference. I am a similar other when it comes to seeing my students get a concept especially when they struggled a bit to get to that level of understanding.
Regards,
James Jackson
Ronald, describe why you are motivated to be the best in your field and to be the best subject matter expert. what do you feel would be an outcome of achieving such a goal?
Regards,
James Jackson
Intrinsically -- I want to be the best subject matter expert by striving to be the best in my field. I want to know more about what I don't know.
Extinsically -- I want to be the best instructor so that I am recognized by my peers and command the higher pay for my abilities.
My extrinsic motivation in the classroom is to see that the students are able to perform tasked as i have instructed them and seeing them be successfull in the lab through my examples. Intrinsic rewarding the students as they particiapte in review and bonus points earned.
My intrinsic motivation to be effective in the classroom comes from my desire for a better educated society. Extriniscally, my motivation to be an excellent instructor comes from my students who send me an e-mail every now and then that says "Thanks" for teaching them a little something...
I believe my intrinsic motivator is to be a great instructor. I love to hear when a student says they love to come to class because it is so interesting. My extrinsic motivator os that my students will be out there working in the healthcare field and may eventually be taking care of me or someone in my family. If that happens I will know I have done the best job I can possibly do!!
Intrisic motivation for me is the simple joy and enthusiasm I have for the subject I teach. An Extrinsic motivator for me is when my students tell me they have gone home and discuss what they are learning with thier frieds and family. They even bring back more information related to the class to share! Knowing that thier interest in my class motivates them to think and talk about it outside of class is great.
Andre, thanks so much for sharing. I really like how you have brought forward a very important intrinsic motivator for teaching with respect to enhancing your own knowledge of a subject. I find it a crazy gesture that all instructors know everything about their subject area, this is rarely the case. In order to really get to know any subject matter, one really needs to involved thyself in teaching about that subject to others. The process of preparing a lesson plan, evaluating the overall effectiveness of how students learn the desired objectives and then working towards continually improving the delivery method to achieve the learning objectives is a great way to really know as much as possible about any subject.
Regards,
James Jackson
Donald, what are some of your intrinsic and extrinsic motivators? I am interested in what drives you as an instructor both internally and externally. Thanks for any information you can share.
Regards,
James Jackson
The students that take the classes that I instruct will have the opportunity to sit for a state examination to obtain a healthcare license. I frequently remind them of how far they have come and how important it is for them to stay focused to pass the state examination the first time. I believe this reminder helps them stay motivated at times when they become overwhelmed.
I love being in a position to help others grow professionally and pay it forward in appreciation to all those who supported me earlier in my career. I am also motivated because teaching also in return enhances my knowledge of the topics I cover in our programs.
Ok, Donna, I am ready to sign up for one of your classes. Sounds like a classroom I want to be in myself or have one of my own children attend. I can actually feel your passion as I read your post and it is very obvious that you GET IT. Thanks so much for sharing and I am going to encourage you to consider writing your own book someday about your passion of being an educator. Looks to me you have a lot to share and I feel there is a large audience out there that will want to read more about your story and your experiences.
Regards,
James Jackson
I have actually had the opportunity to answer this question for myself. I am absolutely an educator. I LOVE to help people realize that they CAN be successful no matter how many times they've been told otherwise. From the time I was a young girl I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I earned a degree in English/Secondary Education as a young woman. In my late thirties and early forties I found myself single again, so I went back to school and earned a degree in Accounting. I earned considerably more money as an accountant, but I discovered that I lost my joy in life, as I did not feel I was contributing much to the world. I left my job as an accountant and returned to the world of teaching. Once I went back to teaching and learned how to manage on a very tight budget, I realized I have never been happier. Now I teach both English and Accounting -- 2 subjects known to create anxiety in students. When I can encourage my students to realize they CAN succeed in such difficult courses, I feel such satisfaction. My extrinsic motivation comes when other teachers, staff, or administrators compliment me and relate to me wonderful things they hear from my students.