(NOTE: You might also be interested in my book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges)
I’ve put the word “motivating” in quotation marks for this post because I hate the word. Here’s how I put it in a previous post:
Anytime I hear or read about “motivating students,” I cringe a bit.
An organizing truism (one that I learned during my twenty-year community organizing career) is that you might be able to bribe, cajole, badger, or threaten somebody to do something over the short-term (I’ve certainly done my share of that, and I’ve written about the negative results). But I don’t think you can really “motivate” anybody to do anything beyond a very, very, very short timeline, after which the initial enthusiasm quickly dissipates.
However, you can help another person find what will motivate themselves.
The posts in this “The Best…” list share more of my thinking around this perspective (check-out my book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges, for additional ideas and lesson plans)
You might also be interested in The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career and My Best Posts On Students Setting Goals.
In addition, check-out The Best Resources For Showing Students That They Make Their Brain Stronger By Learning.
Here are My Best Posts On “Motivating” Students:
I’ve Never “Motivated” A Student
The Problem With “Bribing Students”
A Few Reflections On Daniel Pink’s New Book, “Drive”
My Thoughts On A Very Intriguing Video On Motivation & Incentives
The Difference Between Praise & Acknowledgment
“Now I Know My Brain Is Growing When I Read Every Night”
On Rewards & Classroom Management
“What Drives Motivation in the Modern Workplace?”
Now This Is The Way To Make Academic Talks Accessible — Great Examples Of Graphic Note-Taking (this post contains a link to a graphic representation of Daniel Pink’s book, “Drive.”)
Updates On Some Classroom Lessons & Research I’ve Been Doing
“Will Sleeping More Make Me Smarter?” — A Lesson I’m Trying This Week
“Motivating Students Via Mental Time Travel”
Very Important Study On Learning & The Brain
Another Important Study On Motivation
Exceptional Interview With Daniel Pink
Hilarious Video Clip On Motivation, Alfie Kohn, & “The Office”
Some Wisdom From “This American Life”
More Evidence That Bribes Don’t Work For Actions That Require Higher Order Thinking Skills
Good Short Interview With Daniel Pink
Very Useful Articles On Motivation
“Relevance” & Student Learning
What Does Learning From Mistakes Do To Your Brain?
“Carrots and sticks: Procrastination fix?”
The Best Short Summary I’ve Seen Of Daniel Pink’s Book, “Drive”
How Incentives Can Be Productive (But Not In The Way You Might Think)
The Best Articles On The New Study Showing That Intelligence Is Not “Fixed.”
How To Take Better Advantage Of Brain Plasticity
Daniel Pink On Grades, Autonomy & Inquiry
“How Does Our Brain Learn New Information?”
“When Students Focus On Tests, They Are Not Taking The Time To Think About Why They Are Learning”
“Words Speak Louder Than Money”
Highlights Of Twitter Chat With Daniel Pink
Does being reminded of money make you an uncooperative jerk or an independent thinker? is a blog post by Daniel Pink on some a new study. Even though it’s not my post, I’m adding it here because it’s probably the best place for it.
Feedback is welcome.
If you found this post useful, you might want to consider subscribing to this blog for free.
You might also want to explore the 450 other “The Best…” lists I’ve compiled.
May 17, 2010 at 12:53 am
Larry, I have some great resources listed in my free ebook. I was one of my final projects that I did on my masters degree. It has been read / reviewed over 20,000 times. http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=15920
By the way I will have my wife pick up a copy of your book when she works on her Fulbright Post Doc research.
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