I’m currently a student at Lane Community College, working toward my goal of becoming teacher. Education and learning are both things I’ve been passionate about throughout my life. When I was growing up, I started out in high school as an “At Risk” youth because neither of my parents graduated high school. I lived up to the title well, skipping class and suffering from intellectual boredom. However, my attitude changed when I switched schools and started going to the Academy of Arts and Academics, a small charter school in Springfield. This change fostered growth within myself that was both drastic and necessary.
Teaching was a passion I discovered during my Junior year of high school when I was given the chance to co-teach a class. Although my role was initially small, as someone who has always struggled with public performances, I found myself at home in front of the classroom. By the time I reached my senior year, I had about one hundred and eighty-four hours of student teaching. I was having fun working closely with my instructors to help them plan and very grateful that they were so willing to let me into their space and offer me feedback and guidance. For my senior project I developed my own curriculum and taught under the supervision and guidance of my mentor and it was a blast.
Being a part of this school showed me that educational choice and ownership is incredibly important and that there are several layers of motivation. One of my favorite books which touches on the idea is Drive: The surprising Truth about What Motivates Us by: Daniel H. Pink, who makes the argument for Self Direction, Mastery and Purpose as the ultimate combination for motivation and innovation.
Below are links for a couple RSA videos that are both about education and motivation. The first one is by Sir Ken Robinson called Changing the Educational Paradigm, the second is an introduction to Pink.
Rosella Cobiskey 