What is the single most important characteristic a student must have to be successful in school and prepared for college or workforce ready when they graduate? Here’s a clue, good grades are an offshoot of the characteristic; commitment and determination are also offshoots. So what is this all-important factor for success?
Motivation has been defined as the level of effort an individual is willing to expend toward the achievement of a goal. While educators need to be concerned about motivation, I believe teachers have unfairly shouldered most of the burden for motivating students toward academic achievement. Motivating environments need to be nurtured in the classroom, for sure, but also in homes and throughout the community.
In an urban school district like ours, with our high poverty rate, we cannot afford to overlook the influence that motivation can have on our children. So the question becomes obvious. How can we all support student motivation? The answer may be simpler than you think. Ask yourself, what motivates you? When we reflect upon our own sources of motivation, we tap into something that may be personal but is less likely to be unique. Human nature is human nature. One thing that I’ve learned about human nature and motivation is that once in motion, it continues to gain strength and momentum.
Stephanie Green, a senior at Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical High School, truly extols the virtues of motivation. Green earned a gold medal in a state-wide sheet metal competition earlier this year and is headed to Kansas City this month to participate in the national context. Green was so motivated to do well in her chosen vocation that during the winter months, she walked nearly three miles – even in the midst of snow storms – to make it to work on time at Kleeberg Sheet Metal in Ludlow where she holds a co-operative education position as a sheet metal worker. Green said a personal desire to do her best, combined with support from teachers and family, especially her mother, kept her motivated on the coldest, darkest mornings.
Green’s story is a terrific example of the many supportive strands that help lift and motivate students. Vic Santos, her sheet metal instructor, took note of Green’s deepening interest in sheet metal and spent hours teaching her after school; Kleeberg Sheet Metal provided the opportunity for Green to practice her skills in a real-life setting; SKILLS USA, a national organization that promotes vocational training, hosted competitions that caused Green to push herself to be the best; Green’s mother was so supportive of her daughter’s passion that she joined the Putnam Sheet Metal Advisory Board.
Like many others, Green’s story motivates and inspires me. There are many other students in our district with stories like hers and hundreds of teachers like Santos.
As we approach the summer months, let us all work to stay motivated. More than that, let’s commit to share our motivations with others – it’s contagious and it’s the right thing to do.
Alan J. Ingram is superintendent of the Springfield Public Schools; you can learn more about the programs of the Springfield Public Schools online at www.sps.springfield.ma.us