Sparking Learning in Our Students
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," said Rod Osiowy, explaining to his fellow Prime Minister's Award recipients how he hired a magician to coach his students at Mount Baker Secondary School in Cranbrook, British Columbia, for a school variety show.
On the evening of the show, a student — one who had been having trouble in school —proudly showed Osiowy small boxes filled with lighter fluid taped to his palms and the flint and steel contraption taped to his fingers that would set the liquid on fire. But instead of "passing" fire from one hand to the other after flicking his fingers for a spark, nothing happened. "Get the lighter fluid!" the boy exclaimed.
As his teacher squirted lighter fluid into the boxes, the would-be magician nervously continued to flick his fingers. Chaos ensued. The fluid streaming from the can ignited and sprayed the boy who — forgetting the fluid-filled boxes in his hands — frantically tried to put himself out, spreading the fire further. Finally Osiowy threw his burning student to the floor.
"Fortunately, lighter fluid doesn't burn very hot," said Osiowy. "We put the fire out and refilled his boxes. His musical cue came up and he went out on stage and did the trick perfectly!"
That flawless performance, despite the harrowing preview, was a real and significant boost to the young man's self-confidence and his subsequent accomplishments at school, Osiowy recounted, pointing to a computer programming textbook written by his former student. In the book's introduction, the young man refers to the incident as what gave him the confidence to present his work to industry management, boards of directors and the media.
The Spark of Motivation
We all need that spark of motivation. "It's what makes us human," says Osiowy. "Ambition and motivation give us freedom and choice."
"Motivation is central to learning and the love of learning," adds Deb Robinson, principal of Guardian Angels Catholic School in Stittsville, Ontario. "It's the striving for excellence that brings meaning and focus to our lives."
Ross Thompson sees motivation as an energy or force. Though his explanation suggests that he is a physics teacher, he actually teaches music at New Minas Elementary School in New Minas, Nova Scotia. Motivation, he proposes, overcomes mental inertia the way a force overcomes physical inertia. It starts and propels the learning process. A teacher's job is to create the energy that will motivate a student towards learning.
Of course, setting a student on fire is a somewhat unorthodox method of motivation. "And it wasn't on purpose!" insists Osiowy. More conventional methods of motivating students include fostering internal factors, such as the drive to reach a personal goal, curiosity, self-confidence or commitment to a cause. External influences, such as encouragement from a respected adult, the expectations of a team or a group goal, can also motivate a student.
In effect, these factors generate the excitement and energy needed to pursue a goal, explains Carol Livingstone, a business education teacher from Hugh Boyd Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia. The calm and elegant Livingstone carefully develops both the internal and external factors of motivation in her classes. Then, she laughs, "I just get out of their way" (see Entrepreneurial Motivation).
What Fuels Motivation?
Tangible rewards such as marks and special privileges can be very successful motivators for students. Thompson, who has the broad chest and melodic voice of a trained opera singer (which he is), develops motivation in his elementary school students through successful hands-on experience with popular instruments, such as recorders, guitars, keyboards and ukuleles, playing the traditional music and folksongs of Atlantic Canada.
Tangible rewards work for older students, too, comments English teacher Mike Hussey from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Just for fun one day, he handed out Tootsie Pops during a pop quiz. His students scored about 10 percent higher than he expected. "I'm not a 'gold star' teacher," Hussey explains. "So I was surprised that a small, simple reward like a Tootsie Pop could have such a profound effect." (For another example of tangible rewards, see It's Rewarding.)
It may have been the personal interest demonstrated by the gift of a Tootsie Pop rather than the candy itself that made the difference, comments Osiowy. Intangible motivators, such as fun, personal satisfaction, interest and encouragement from a respected peer or adult, self-confidence in one's ability to tackle the task and pride in the work, reinforce and increase motivation, he finds.
Osiowy, who calls himself a sponge for learning, likes to use what he calls "subversive activities" to create interest and motivate his theatre, video and acting students (such as using pyrotechnics in a variety show; see Making a Difference). "To motivate the students, you need to motivate yourself," he says. "I like to take risks, to try things that people have said can't be done and stretch the limits a bit."
With this attitude from their teacher, the students know that in "Rodo's" class they will not be mocked for a mistake nor have their dreams crushed. His students can get caught up in the excitement of learning how to do something innovative and new and are motivated not only to solve the immediate problem, but also to continue to "stretch those limits and keep on learning," he continues.
Is Motivation Everything?
In fact, delayed gratification is an important lesson that students must learn, too. Even while providing intermediate rewards towards a larger goal, it is important to gradually lengthen the "reward span," says elementary principal Robinson. In this way, students learn to reward themselves with intangibles, such as pride and satisfaction in their accomplishments as they work towards a long-term goal.
Carol Livingstone, from the perspective of a secondary school teacher, sees it differently. "If you light the fire, you shouldn't have to keep blowing on it to keep it hot," she says. "Self-motivation comes from self-satisfaction. Our job is to teach young people not to depend on others for their motivation."
"Modelling a love of learning yourself and showing students that you're excited and motivated to learn is the real key to motivating students," agrees Robinson, who surely motivates everyone she comes in contact with, since she fairly vibrates with energy and enthusiasm herself.
As the first principal of a new school, Robinson took advantage of the opportunity to build a motivational atmosphere, one that encourages and promotes learning for everyone. Goal setting and self-assessment became the task of everyone in the school, from the smallest Junior Kindergarten student to Robinson herself. She streamlined procedures, focussed staff meetings on professional development, and created teams of teachers to work together on tasks, for example, developing strategies to consistently review children's progress.
Is Motivation Enough?
Is a teacher who motivates students automatically an excellent teacher? The qualities used to describe a motivational teacher and an excellent teacher are certainly similar: provides immediate feedback and tangible rewards, has a sense of humour, builds a strong relationship with the students and gives students the freedom to express themselves and explore new avenues.
"There's more to an excellent teacher than just the ability to motivate the students," answers Robinson. "An excellent teacher balances motivation with academic expectations." In her experience, the teacher who really challenges the students to reach their full potential academically and personally does so with rigorous standards and high expectations. A great teacher and a great motivator has an extensive knowledge and love of the subject and creates fresh, innovative strategies for teaching and learning. Even though students sometimes avoid these teachers because they think their classes will be too hard, they are the ones who turn students on to lifelong learning.
Even with a successful, interesting program, the teacher's respect and interest in the student, good team spirit in the class and attractive rewards, not every student will be motivated all the time, Thompson points out. "Sometimes the wood is wet. There's not enough time to get through to the student, you're just not the right teacher for that student or the student has too much else to cope with in his life."
But you never know when a lesson you teach will light the spark of interest, motivation and excitement about learning, concludes Helen Pat Hansen from Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Stittsville, Ontario. "When I was in school, I learned about the Coriolis effect — that weather patterns rotate counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. At the time, it didn't strike me as anything important." Only years later, on a trip to Australia, did the lesson and its implications resurface. "There I was, bouncing around a hotel room in Sydney, all excited because the water was swirling the opposite way down the drain!"