What Can Wormwood Do?
Student behavior is (usually) a direct result of classroom environment.
Teachers should encourage curiosity, not punish it.
Obviously, not every question a student asks is going to be relevant to class material, and it is important to keep class on track. However, Calvin's curiosity in this comic, while morbid, is a sign of intrinsic motivation, because he is genuinely interested in this ethical debate. Instead of encouraging this innate inquisitiveness (and gently pushing him back on topic), Mrs. Wormwood punishes him. This teaches Calvin that asking questions and wanting to learn is not welcome in Wormwood's classroom. A teacher could handle this situation in a number of ways, depending on the relevancy of the question to class content. Something like "good question Calvin, but right now we are talking about [insert topic]" could be a relatively neutral way to handle it. She could also encourage Calvin to pursue this matter on his own as a sort of passion project. If the class is currently learning about persuasive essays, Calvin could use this ethical debate his topic and would therefore be much more inclined to write the essay. This would potentially be an example of giving Calvin autonomy over his learning by providing him a choice in his project.
Students should be encouraged to learn for learning's sake.
In this comic, Wormwood specifically advises Calvin that he should "work harder so [he doesn't] get bad grades. This is an example of providing extrinsic motivation by means of punishment. While grades are a valid and arguably important way to measure progress and performance, students who are engaged in school in order to get good grades often don't continue to seek out learning experiences, and can get burnt out quickly. Instead of using grades as an external goal, Mrs. Wormwood should use other ways to inspire Calvin to learn. She can give Calvin autonomy by allowing Calvin some choice in his schoolwork, such as the mode or topic of assessment. She can provide content that is related to Calvin's life and goals - perhaps by explaining that math is important to astronauts or that geology helps us better understand dinosaurs. She can also provide Calvin more opportunities to succeed, other than on tests and assignments. By demonstrating a new skill or finding, Calvin can begin to raise his self-esteem and pursue learning for his own sake. This is an example of helping Calvin feel competent.
Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71, 1-27.
Reeve, J., Bolt, E., & Cai, Y. (1999). Autonomy-supportive teachers: How they teach and motivate students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 537-548.