Motivation

Oh, how I love Pinterest! Sometimes it’s like picking up a favorite book off of your bookshelf to hear exactly what you need hear.  Or should I say read.  Today was one of those days when you question your career choice.  I truly LOVE teaching.  I love sharing my passion for reading and writing, then seeing how my students catch that bug like it’s contagious.  For example, today we finished The Tiger Rising.  Let me pause and just reminisce on that for a moment.  I think this may be my favorite children’s book.  Somehow, Kate DiCamillo topped my love for Harry Potter.  Congratulations, Kate!  You win! I don’t know why or how this book hasn’t been turned into a movie.

As we were reading the book, I kept telling my students I was going to tear up.  They didn’t believe me. Today, they saw it.  Those last few chapters are a doozy! She is a powerful writer.  So powerful.  I’ve come to realize this is how a book makes it to my favorites list- makes me cry.  (i.e. Mockingjay, Because of Winn-Dixie, Harry Potter)Isn’t that what we want?  To read a book that tugs at our hearts?  Keeps us on the edge of our seats? Makes us feel the emotions our characters are feeling?  It sure doesn’t feel like fiction to me-we’ve come to know these characters and journeyed alongside them as they face obstacles and turmoil.

Back to the point of today’s post. Motivation.  Clearly as you can see above, my motivation every day is watching my students experience what it means to be a reader and a writer.  Dare I say, these things matter more to me than Math or Science. Because I know how Reading and Writing have helped me to deal with life.  Not just my job or my career, but life.  I know that when I have a day like today, I can come home and find a wonderful quote or insight. Or I can pick up the book I’ve been reading and hope something finally happens even though I am halfway through! Or I can go back to one of my favorites on the bookshelf.  Either way, I am escaping into a world that enthralls me and embraces me.  I feel a sense of calm in a world chaotic, crazy, and sometimes crippling.

Motivation.  What motivates us at work?  I found the above photo on Pinterest and of course it is from TEDBlog and is linked to the full blog post which analyzes, “What motivates us at work?” If you would like to see the full blog, you can find it here.

The one that speaks to me the most is:

“Positive reinforcement about our abilities may increase our performance.”

Isn’t this true? Especially for teachers.  Just as our students need to hear that they are doing something (ANYTHING)  well-so do teachers.  Not just from our kids, who probably love us the most and matter the most, but from our colleagues, parents, and administrators.

What are your thoughts?  What motivates you at work?  Is it different for you every day?  I think it is for me.  Tomorrow, I might be motivated by “positive images.”  Or maybe they all matter every day?  Points to Ponder 🙂

Happy Tuesday! I hope you are having a merry week!

-Jessica