“If we
start kids by rewarding them with prizes, their Intrinsic Motivation will vanish.”
The link
between Motivation and rewards is very subtle in Education and Learning.
Rewarding
students for getting their schoolwork done with prizes can have the effect of
dismantling a child’s passion to learn. The Intrinsic Motivation that come from
exploring interests in depth, and mastering difficult concepts and problems,
can be smothered by a reward system that focuses on grades or tests rather than
understanding.
Our
cultural inclination to praise and reward kids, often for minimal achievement, contributes
to the decline in kids’ Intrinsic Motivation. Students have to be responsible for
their own learning process otherwise, they lose Confidence and Motivation. Teachers
are mere facilitators to help them become independent young learners.
It is
important to praise their effort rather than their results and never forget fun
that drives enthusiasm and curiosity for learning.
Educators
have the power to affect how students are motivated.
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