Motivation Blog

Why are you here (in the teacher education program, in this class, at UVU)?

This time around, I am here because I want to be here. My first time in college I was on scholarship, and that is the only reason I went to school is to play football. This time is different.

What motivates you?

Money used to be the motivator, but now it is being happy. I used to make a high six figure income, but was never happy. So I hope doing something I enjoy will will fix the lack of income, for happiness.

Why do you succeed? Why do you fail? (Use terminology from attribution theory)

According to the attribution theory, An internal factor can be controllable (we can control our effort by trying harder) or uncontrollable (most people cannot easily change their basic intellectual ability or change from being an introvert to being an extrovert). Likewise, an external factor can be controllable (a person failing a difficult course could succeed by taking an easier course) or uncontrollable (if calculus is difficult because it is abstract, it will still be abstract no matter what we do).
So I succeed because I an very competitive and hate to lose at anything. I was raised to be the best in whatever you do.
This is also what makes me fail. It's not really that I failed per say, but if it wasn't the best to me that was failing.
Throughout all my successes and failures I learned, only control the controllable things. Don't worry about the small stuff.

Do the goals in your course contract reflect mastery goals or performance goals? What does this say about you?

For me I think it is a combination of the two. To me it means I don't have any set ways of doing things.

How do you need to change your motivations and mindset for this class in order to become a great teacher?

In order for me to become the great teacher that I want to become, means I need to be willing to learn. Meaning I need to keep an open mind to everything, weather it comes from a professor, fellow student or a student I am teaching. To become a great educator you need to be an eternal student of knowledge.