Motivation in the Classroom
After completing my observations at the BOCES alternative education program last semester, I struggled to find a common theme present in very different environments. Finally, I realized that I could address the relationship between student goals and motivation and teacher pedagogy in both the GED program and an alternative education ninth grade living environment class. Both groups had distinct goals: the goal of the GED students was to pass a test in order to get a high school equivalency diploma and the goal of the alternative education students was to be able to return to their home school districts by demonstrating good behavior. The GED teacher successfully used the goal and motivation of her students in her pedagogy, leading her to an effective classroom and a high success rate for her students on the GED exam. On the other hand, the living environment teacher was unable to control her students and spent more time trying to get their attention than on the course material. My paper addresses the importance of classroom structure and environment, the relationship between student goals and teacher pedagogy, and motivational factors in the classroom. This paper made me realize how important it is for teachers to adjust their teaching methods to their environment and to their students. Not only does this apply in an alternative education setting, but it should also apply in other learning environments such as urban public schools compared to private preparatory schools.