The Motivated School

What is the Motivated School?

Motivation is the glue that holds everything together, the hub around which most school developments can be considered. It’s a way of thinking that needs to permeate the whole school about the power of motivation in the classroom and about the core conditions for effective teaching and learning. It looks at both pupil and teacher motivation. It resonates with, supports and wraps around many current initiatives and so is a unifying focus to schools and authorities. As such The Motivated School needs to be integrated into school life rather than seen as another initiative. If current developments in Teaching and Learning, such as the Curriculum for Excellence and Assessment is for Learning are to improve our schools they need to be married more closely to thinking on classroom climate and group dynamics.

The overarching aim of the programme is to promote a better understanding of the nature and effect of motivation on learners by:

• Affording teachers the opportunity for self reflection
• Examining the types of learning environments in the classroom
• Enhancing our grasp of the theory and practice of motivation
• Equipping teachers with the tools and skills to create motivating climates
• Allowing a sharing of ideas and evaluating current approaches
• Assimilating these ideas into the larger context of current child centred learning and teaching initiatives

It will help teachers:

• Understand themselves and their pupils better
• Re evaluate their approach to pupils
• Make their classroom more engaging
• Make the job more enjoyable

This is not a quick fix. Teachers need to internalise these ideas to enhance their understanding of themselves, their own behaviour and attitudes.

The programme maintains the focus on promoting positive behaviour while encouraging teachers to consider how they can develop pupil self-discipline, encourage learners to take more responsibility for their own learning and be more accountable for their behaviour. The key outcome will be more self motivated and autonomous learners capable of achieving their potential.