Motivation Part 1 Thoughts

Thought questions:

1. Consider your own motivation for learning. Is it typically intrinsic, extrinsic, a little of both? Why?
   My motivation for school is typically a little bit both of intrinsic and extrinsic. I have a desire to learn and to be the best I can in school. I want to make sure that I understand the material being presented to me and I know the software and concepts so that I can be an effective teacher. It is also extrinsic because the rewards I get for putting in the effort I do. I usually walk away with a GPA of 3.5 or higher each semester. 
2. What do you think your future students' motivation will be like? How will you use praise and rewards to motivate your students to learn? How will you use intrinsic motivators? I think most of my students motivation will be extrinsic motivation. One way I will use praise and rewards is a green card system. I remember in the 5th grade we had a reward system. This reward system used green, yellow, blue, and red cards. At the beginning of the cycle everyone started out with blue cards but the goal was to get everyone to green cards. If within a certain amount of time everyone got a green card the class had some reward (movie, party, treats, etc.) The card system was to promote good behavior and encourage students' interactions and environment to encourage students to get the green card.  
3. How could you use rewards to improve your own motivation?
   I can use activities that I like to do as an reward. For instance my favorite tv show or work on a sewing project. I can use them as a reward. If I study for EDU Psychology for 1 hour tonight I will watch 1 episode of my favorite TV show. 
4. Have you ever experienced flow (that feeling that time is non-existent as you work on something that you love) in a class? What were you learning and/or how was the learning structured that induced flow? If you haven't experienced flow in a classroom, have you experienced it while engaging in a favorite activity? How might you induce flow in your future classroom? (The picture shows my son experiencing flow! He sat in that exact spot for about 6 hours) 
   This semester I do seem to be experiencing flow a lot. In a couple of my classes I am so intrigued by the material and the professor is so good at capturing my attention it makes the time fly by so fast. My professor's teaching style is very visual and kinesthetic. I have never really worked with professor's with those teaching styles and it has been a great experience for me and it makes me want to implement some of her strategies into my own classroom. In my own classroom I want to make sure that my students are having fun while learning. I believe it is important for them to be in a fun environment. Having that environment will help them remember information better and leave the classroom with a positive attitude and be motivated to come back again the next day.