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 Self-motivation vs. social stigmas and class 
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After Thursday's discussion it really got me thinking about social class and how it affects educational outcomes. I said it in class, and will repeat it here. I truly believe that if a student is motivated enough and has the proper encouragement from teachers that are supportive, (s)he can obtain the right resources and rise above the social stigmas attached to their "class" and projected and expected educational outcome, despite what the statistics say. I will repeat the part about having encouraging teachers, because if that fails then it almost sets the student up for certain failure as a child. However, that is our role as an educator to support, motivate and encourage our students in their educational goals. Do you think that intrinsic motivation combined with enough support in the school system through supportive educators and resources found in schools can overcome the social status stigmas that can statistically determine students' educational outcomes?

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Alison K. Scott


Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:26 pm
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Absolutely, but it can still be difficult. One thing that I'm so pumped about is getting the opportunity to help students learn and to teach them that they aren't stupid, that they can learn, and they can succeed. If a student feels he/she can succeed and their teachers reflect and enforce that in their classrooms, there should be no reason for that student not to succeed. Even though I've heard and seen the statistics, I've also seen an abundant amount of "exceptions". Why can't our goal, as educators, be to change the present's "exceptions" into the future's "statistics"?

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April Wilkinson


Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:39 am
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I too agree that intrinsic motivation is a key component in anyone’s success. Although, the three main groups that influence students ideas and feelings towards education and success would be (as discussed in class), the parents, teacher, and individual student. Therefore, as long as the child has positive intrinsic motivation about succeeding in education, then no matter their class they should, along with the support of teachers be able to achieve any goal they set. It's true that all components that lead to a student’s belief in educational success are very important, but if the student is at least getting two positive influences for either group then they should be more than able to rise above any stigmas. For those who have great parents, confident intrinsic motivation, and great teachers, they’re very fortunate, but not everyone is that privileged. That’s why we as teachers can never slack or give our students anything other than encouragement when dealing with all of our students concerns about education. So by being the best teacher possible and creating a fun and relaxing learning environment we can ensure that our students will then have the correct intrinsic motivation to really their value education.


Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:26 pm
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I agree with Britini if a student has 2 of the three factors that most influences students motivation then they will be successful no matter what class they come from. As future teachers if we truly are able to encourage and motivate every student that we teach, then student that are either self motivated, parent motivated, or both are going to be outstanding students. But what about the student that isnt motivated by self or by parents. Is being a great teacher going to impact that student and push them to do well?


Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:39 pm
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As hard as it is to say or accept, I don't think that we can help every student. We can try and try and never give up, but we can't do it for them. I think we should understand that no matter what we can't make every student as wonderful as we want them to be. At the same time we should never give up on them! Our job is to keep trying. No matter if we think that they will never be motivated, we wont know if we stop trying to help them. So no, being a good teacher isn't enough, but we have to give them the opportunity to have good teacher just in case it is enough.

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Erica Hayes


Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:44 pm
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I believe that if students have 2 of the three types of motivation (particularly intrinsic motivation) that they will be successful in their own way. I am a die-hard believer that success doesn't always mean honor roll and going to college. I know many students who never made the honor roll, took shop class instead of creative writing and are extremely successful today. We might not be able to get all students to a certain "academic level" but I can guarantee that at some point every student will have a teacher who inspires them to be their best.

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Amanda Klinger


Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:25 am
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I strongly believe that a "low class" student can rise above and be extremely successful, with the proper motivation and support of course. I myself have a few family members that have young children. The parents offer the children absolutely no support or motivation and I continuously find myself saying "that poor child doesn't stand a chance in this world", but I know I am wrong in saying that. Everyone child has a chance. Several of these children just started kindergarten back in August, one of them is doing fabulous (keep in mind that he also has a great, supportive, caring teacher), while the other child is already struggling. This child happens to have ADHD and he was labeled from the moment he attended orientation with his teacher. Once the teacher found out that he had ADHD, she made the comment, "well we will try him out in this classroom, but i'm not sure if it will work out". That absolutely blows my mind. Before even giving the child a chance, she had alread singled him out and doubted him. Since school started, he remains in the same classroom, but has been moved away from the other students to eliminate his talking.
With this example, I believe that it helps support the idea that with motivation and support and child can go far in life.

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Dana Currin


Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:59 pm
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I agree with a lot of the post in that a teacher has to be supportive of children, even if the child seems "hopeless". Referring to Dana's post, you can't just write off a child because he has ADHD or any other disability or comes from a "low-class". If you provide lots of support, it will give the student self-esteem and help them to have that intrinsic motivation that has been discussed. If the parents and the child have already given up on the child, you are doing the child and the society a huge dis-service as a teacher to give up on the child as well. As a teacher, I want to provide as much support as I can to help each child succeed. I know this is a big job and sometimes it can be dissappointing when the child doesn't succeed, but I believe it is part of the job. So to answer the original question: yes, I believe a child can overcome the stigmas of social class or any disability!

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Brittany Norman


Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:40 pm
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