January 17, 2012: The Dilemma of Motivation
1. Gaby Diaz Worley: Welcome to the Apollo: motivation driven by denotation and connotation
Mrs. Gaby Diaz Worley, English teacher and founder of the Apollo lectures, addresses the dilemma of motivation within the constructs of the current society, within the systems created by administrators and teachers at AHS, and even within the choices she has made in her own life. Through her story telling, Mrs. Worley shows the difference in the denotation and connotation of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and explains just how the Apollo lectures came to be.
“So, I started thinking about what intrinsically motivates me to learn when there are no stakes—when are the times in my life when I’m not going to get paid, when there are no extra credits Points or professional development hours offered…”
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2. Carl Braden: Why Music?: one man's story about finding his path
Mr. Carl Braden, Atascocita High School’s associate choir director and AP Music Theory instructor, tells the story of the journey in finding his true purpose and the affect that music had, and still has, on shaping his life. Mr. Braden paints a picture of his childhood and coming of age—the sibling rivalry between his ten siblings, the constant pressures of his parents to pursue a “respectable career,” and the internal struggle within himself to recognize his true purpose—and just how music and education really affects everyone and everything around us.
“Teachers are artists—we are coaches, we are counselors, we are debaters, and we are entertainers. We are lecturers, we are magicians, we are motivational speakers, we are performers, and we are scholars. We are these things everyday in our classrooms.”
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3. Kap McWhorter: Occupy Education: good luck finding a room
Mr. Kap McWhorter, Humble ISD’s Social Action Facilitator and Atascocita High School’s Small Learning Communities Coordinator, confronts the menial cycle that many people find themselves stuck. Mr. McWhorter tells stories about his escapades into the depths of crisis and the paradigm shift within himself when he realized that the supposed formula for success—get a good education, have a good life—was one of the biggest lies a teacher could tell.
“It came home to me at this point… I’d amassed all this stuff, and I believed the script. What’s the freaking point? What am I doing here? If this is the point—so I can put on my t-shirt and do my deal with my family and we can do ours and we can keep amassing more and more stuff for ourselves and I keep allowing this to happen—something’s really screwed up.”
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More ideas on Motivation
- Kap McWhorter shares his thoughts on education's role in motivating students in this powerful article. Follow this link.
- Below is an incredible speech Mr. Braden likes to share about importance of music. Karl Paulnack speaks to the parents on incoming freshmen to the Boston conservatory to explain that their children's chosen profession is not only worthy but vital to humanity.
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- Daniel Pink: The surprising truth about what motivates us