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Calvin's Motivational Pattern
Calvin's Motivational Pattern
In this comic, Calvin struggles with aspects of self-motivation like intrinsic interest and his own self-efficacy. He does not find value in learning for its own sake, instead fixating on outcomes as merit, as seen in his tangent about high paying jobs and opportunity down the road. He also doesn't have the grit or self-efficacy to actually follow through on his work to achieve any of these goals.
Calvin here struggles with the performance and self-reflection phases of self-regulated learning. During his work process, he poorly manages his time and doesn't set small acheivable goals. In this comic we also see an unwillingness to reflect on his work and effect changes going forward. This project is poorly set up for Calvin's lack of motivation. It is a very broad project with a lot of student freedom, but Calvin doesn't have the motivation to get productive progress done without direction. Ms. Wormwood could modify the project for him by breaking it up into smaller increments to help him better manage his time and goals.
In this comic, Calvin's mom is trying to talk to Calvin about his poor study habits and the importance of homework. Calvin is clearly not listening to anything she is saying, and has had this conversation many times before. He thinks she is self-centered and that all of the blame is being put onto him.
This shows us that Calvin is having trouble with taking some authority over his own learning. He feels victimized and is not understanding how any of this is his own fault.
He is also having trouble reflecting on his study habits and he does not see anything wrong with it. Miss Wormwood can incorporate more reflective practices in the classroom so that Calvin has to reflect on how he studied and how he felt he did. This way, he can take more authority of his own learning and develop grit, which will help him to become more motivated.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Overall, Calvin does struggle with being self-regulated. For the forethought phase, he has beliefs both about himself and the content (self-efficacy and intrinsic interest respectively) that impede his work. In the performance phase, he does not regulate his time well nor set productive goals. Finally, for the self-reflection phase, he shows a lack of willingness to take feedback and bring it into the next project.
How Can Miss Wormwood Foster Positive Motivation Patterns in the Classroom?
How Can Miss Wormwood Foster Positive Motivation Patterns in the Classroom?
One thing that Miss Wormwood can work on is making a connection with Calvin, and her other students. She can start to learn about his interests, and his hobbies. Once she learns about his interests, she can come up with lessons and projects that integrate his interests. For example, Calvin can create a passion project where he researches about something he enjoys. This way, his intrinsic motivation can be fostered as he may feel more inclined to research about something he likes, and not something he is forced to research about.
Miss Wormwood can also provide more choice in the classroom. If Calvin feels as though he has authority over his own learning, he may feel more engaged in tasks while still following the goal of the lesson.
One thing Miss Wormwood needs to be cautious of is to not undermine Calvin's intrinsic motivation. One way teachers tend to do this is by handing out external rewards. Especially if Calvin is doing a project he enjoys, a reward can make the project feel like work rather than fun. Rewards reduce a person's sense of autonomy. Instead, Miss Wormwood can give Calvin specific verbal praise. This can support Calvin's competence and motivate him intrinsically.
Again, Miss Wormwood needs to make sure to implement Zimmerman's phases of self-regulation, and make sure to include planning, goal setting, self-monitoring, and reflection in the classroom.
By encouraging Calvin to set goals and plan out his projects before he starts them, he may feel more inclined to do the project because he has set deadlines and goals to reach. At the beginning of the day, Miss Wormwood can meet with Calvin after he sets a daily goal and she can make sure that it is obtainable and reasonable. She can provide a goal sheet that is easy for him to fill out.
To help Calvin plan out his projects, Miss Wormwood can provide thinking maps and help Calvin to brainstorm what he is going to write about. She can hand him different thinking maps like bubble maps, tree maps, or Venn diagrams. This will help Calvin to organize his thoughts and to get a head start on his assignment.
Reflecting is also an important part of Zimmerman's regulation cycle. Miss Wormwood can give Calvin an exit ticket at the end of the day, where Calvin can reflect on whether or not he reached his goal for the day, and explain how he reached that goal.
These strategies will help Miss Wormwood foster a more positive motivation pattern from Calvin rather than his lack of self efficacy and his lack of interest in assignments.
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