Discussion topics for week two

Teaching to Student Strengths

The five principles of teaching to student strengths, written by author Dan Pink in 2009, are designed to stimulate interest, to challenge, and to encourage creativity. The five principles will be reviewed in this paper, along with the positive impact that teaching to those strengths can have on students and teachers. In addition this paper will review a time when a student was motivated by something that I did.

(More than) Five Principles of Teaching to Student Strengths

Pink presents more than five examples of strategies to motivate students to get going and finish their tasks. The three aspects of what Pink considers real, or true motivation, are "autonomy, mastery, and purpose." On page 64 -- under the "autonomy" category -- Pink offers three "important practices" as alternatives for rewards.

One, "Offer a rationale for why the task is necessary": telling a student just to do something because it needs to be done isn't motivating that student. If the instructor explains why it helps complete a "larger purpose" it has a better chance of getting done, and done correctly. The instructor should emphasize, hey, if this is completed correctly, it will help our organization succeed and we'll all benefit.

Two, "Acknowledge that the task is boring": it's like, okay, I know this is not the most exciting task you've even been asked to do, but do it well and you'll show that you care about what our organization is trying to accomplish.

And three, "Allow people to complete the task their own way": In other words, okay, here's what I want accomplished but you can get it done any way that makes sense for you.

Also under "autonomy" Pink discusses a "results-only work environment" (ROWE) for students. They show up and get their work done satisfactorily -- because the instructor is good at "…creating conditions for people to do their best work" (86).

Under the category "Mastery" Pink reflects that the opposite of "autonomy is control" and while control "leads to compliance, autonomy leads to engagement, and engagement should logically lead to what he calls "Type 1 behavior…mastery -- the desire to get better and better at something that matters. And if only 50% or less of today's employees are "engaged" at work, how many students are truly engaged at school? Getting students engaged is the main step towards getting them to master their assignments and projects.

Instructors should fully explain the "purpose" behind the assignment, and should ask themselves before assigning it: a) am I offering "any autonomy over how and when to do this work?"; b) does doing this assignment promote mastery by being "an engaging task?" And c) is the purpose of this assignment clear to the students?

Teachers, students and others in the classroom community are inspired when there is a larger cause for everyone to focus on. For example, by teaching to students' strengths (their interest in wildlife), have the students write and illustrate reports on the loss of wildlife habitat in their county -- by going out into the natural world with a biologist who can point out the ways urban sprawl, pollution, and over-grazing has done damage to the ecosystems and hence taken away habitat for birds, coyotes, deer and rabbits. Students use the concepts of autonomy, mastery, and purpose -- in context with their assignments -- to complete projects that will be shared with the whole school and with local political officials.