Motivation Response Assignment

Respond to each of the following questions. Use vocabulary from your motivation study guide where appropriate.


Why are you here (in the teacher education program, in this class, at UVU)?
What motivates you?
I am here because I want to be a teacher.  I want to be a good teacher.  I don’t want to be a good teacher for others to see, but to actually reach hearts and minds of the students I will work with.  I have a mastery goal to become the best teacher I can be. I want to teach teenagers.  I want to help them to see the good in the world and help them to become intrinsically motivated to develop this in themselves and then in their world.  


Why do you succeed? Why do you fail? (Use terminology from attribution theory)
I am mostly likely to succeed when causes are internal, stable, and controllable.  When I know that the power is in me to do; when I am constant from day to day, where ever I may be; and when I am in control will be when I am most likely to succeed.  When the causes are external, unstable, and uncontrollable I will be mostly likely to fail.  When powers outside of me; when events are unstable; and when the cause is uncontrollable I will likely fail. 


Do your goals for this class reflect mastery goals or performance goals? What does this say about you?
I have a deep desire to learn the material so that my pool of knowledge and skills may be deeper to draw from when I am in my own classroom.  In order for me truly have the effect that I desire to have on my students I must continuously learn and develop myself to become the best teacher that I can be.  Therefore I feel as though my goals in this class (and in this program) are mastery related.  I want to be the best that I can be, not so that others will see, but to better meet the needs of my future students.  I hope that this means that I will be successful and driven to achieve my goals even when times get hard and there are numerous distractions.  


How do you need to change your motivations and mindset for this class in order to become a great teacher?
Although my overall goals and motivations may be where I want them to be most of the time, there are times when my motivation is extrinsic and my goals are performance based.  I need to be aware of how these states can (positively or negatively) influence me and my pursuit of my goals.