I enrolled in Marine Science on a whim. I surf, I like the beach, well why not? So I sat my first day near the back in a large lecture hall in Orange Coast College, and took out my notebook. As the lights dimmed, I relaxed a bit in the pleasant darkness, then the instructor started to speak. I could tell in the first 5 minutes that this class was going to be different, but I didn't realize the impact it would have on me. The professor, Dr. Tom Garrison, wove a story with his words that was easy to follow, interesting, and yet full of ideas and information. His passion was unmistakable, and it immediately drew me into class. I still remember, to this day, his remarkable lectures. His genuine excitement about the subject rubbed off on all of his students. I remember learning about the intricacies of water, how oceans were explored, and the wonder of it all. I remember learning things that moved me, like pollution, and exploitation. I remember the image he showed us of the anguish on Robert Falcon Scott's face when he found out that Amundsen had reached the South Pole first, and how his team had perished on the ice, only 11 miles away from the safety of their next depot. He used his visuals and voice in concert to reach and move people, and he was an expert at it. And through all of this everyone could see that he truly cared about each and every one of his students. It felt like he was talking to you and you alone, even though there were 300 other students around you.
As a student, that made me want to work for him. I wanted to show him I shared his passion and that I appreciated all that he taught me. He inspired me with his words, impressed me with his knowledge, and could mesmerize his audience, but at the same time be easy going and approachable. That one class made up my mind. I started taking every Marine Science class there was, and after the completion of my AA transferred to CSULB and completed my degree in the subject. Picking up a minor along the way, I worked in an environmental lab that performed water testing for a while, then eventually went into teaching, wanting to share my passion for the subject with my students just like Dr. Garrison did. I am still inspired to this day, and while I do not lecture as much in my classes any more, when I do I try to emulate his style. Unfortunately, he passed away about a year ago, and I never did get back to OCC to speak with him and let him know how he inspired me, but I do keep one of his books close at hand to remind me of how I want to present myself to my students on a daily basis.
Two semesters later, I was enrolled and excelling in a Marine Biology course, just wrapping up a few things before transferring. Near the end of that semester, I was getting quite busy and overwhelmed, and I let my studies lax a bit. I took one too many classes that term and really didn't have time for them all, and as a result my grades suffered a bit. Unfortunately, I did not put enough time into my Marine Biology class (and the required term paper), and I ended up with a D in the class. A D - in the subject I loved and was so gung-ho about. It was crushing at first, and I didn't understand it, and I'm still not all that sure exactly how it happened. But it did, and there I was stuck with it. I was a little demoralized and intimidated as a result as I started at CSULB, but after a few months I decided that I was not going to let that D define me. I re-dedicated myself to school and put 100% effort into my biology courses. I ended up with an A in my first semester of college bio, one of only 7 out of the hundred plus students in the course. That revitalized me, and I didn't have much trouble believing in myself after that.
Part of teaching is being a model. I realize that students are motivated by different things, but while it's extremely difficult to discover precisely what motivates others, we all know exactly what motivates ourselves. So what I try to do, on a daily basis, is to share my experiences with my students and let them know that I support them. I'm not a talking robot, or someone that is just assigning them grades, I am a human that went through the same experiences that they are going through now. I tell them of my successes, and of my failures. Things I found easy, and things I found difficult. I also let them know that the things I found difficult were the things that I learned the most from. When they ask how I know so much about invertebrates like squid, lobsters, and jellies, I explain I owe it all to that invertebrate zoology class that I scraped by with a C in - the most challenging course I ever took. Not easy, but hey, I remember it all. And I don't remember a whole lot about the physiology courses where I received an A. Challenging things result in the highest reward.
So as a teacher, I can teach them all I know, and then some, but what I absolutely try to do is to motivate them to be the best human being they can be, both in their educational careers and in their personal lives. I try to motivate them to challenge themselves, triumph over adversity, and come out of it better than they were before.
What I try to avoid at all costs, is motivating my students by fear or by stress. I try to avoid phrases such as "If you don't figure this stuff out, you might not pass" or "I have to notify your parents because of your low grade." Students have enough pressures on their plate without their teacher adding another layer to that, and I've found that very few of high school age thrive when stress is their motivator. Rather, I use phrases like "You might be struggling on your own, but I bet together we could figure this out and get you on the right track" or "The tests will get harder as the year goes on, but you will see things you are already familiar with so I have confidence that you will adapt and succeed." To a lesser extent, I am trying to phase out extrinsic rewards, as while I think they can motivate, they perhaps do so for the wrong reasons. I've used them sparingly this year while trying to increase the interest of my lessons and projects, and so far my students have been shining compared to past years. Now to see if it continues in semester two, particularly with the seniors...
In closing, an infographic that represents what I am trying to currently accomplish as far as student motivation:
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