Chapter 11 Questions to Consider

How might you enhance motivation and affect in your students using the theories of motivation?

I think I would start off by choosing a couple of the different theories of motivation that I feel like will be most beneficial and the ones I felt that the kids would most respond to in a positive way. I feel that the ones that I choose would definitely be different from someone else's classroom because not only will I teach an elementary class, but I will have deaf students in my class. Those children already have a hard time at being motivated because they are having to deal with being deaf and that hindering them from learning. I feel that because I will be working with deaf children, that self-determination would definitely enhance motivation in those deaf children. I think that self determination is something that you have to build up. You can't just have it. I think that it starts at home and if the kids are getting it at home then at school. I think that the younger the age they start at, the better. I think one way I could help deaf children want to have self-determination is by giving them "guided choices" like we talked about in class. If they feel they have choices it might make them want to perform the task and have self-determination to finish a task.The other theory of motivation that I think is really important for deaf students is relatedness. Deaf children have a hard time feeling accepted as it is so i think that feeling socially connected (relatedness) would help them want to be motivated to do things because they feel so welcome. For example, if I had the students engage in group activities that would really be beneficial.

Which theories of motivation are most helpful and instructive for you?

I believe that self-determination is the most helpful because, to me, it is the basic for motivation. You first have to be determined before you can be motivated to do something. If you have the self-determination to accomplish the task then in turn you will probably be motivated to accomplish the task. For me, I also think that relatedness is helpful. If I were the student in the situation I think that if I were socially accepted with other peers and teachers that I would be motivated to go to school and motivated to finish my work and want to be at school.