Motivation: A Necessary Tool for Learning

Motivation.  It’s key.  Necessary for learning AND life.

Have you ever known someone who barely made it through high school, or even college, but then went on to be very successful in their life? I would venture to guess it happens quite often. But why?

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Motivation: A Necessary Tool For Learning.

When one is forced to learn something that they have no interest or aptitude in, there is not going to be much desire to learn. There may be a desire to make the grade (I was this kid!) but the information will not be retained.

When there is freedom in the choice of what/how to study, there is more ownership and motivation. Here, true learning can occur.

I liken it to the motorized walkway at the airport.  Sure, we don’t NEED to take it (unless we’re in a real hurry!), but WOW, does it move us along faster!

I feel this way with my kids much of the time.  When I ride the wave of learning, I (or my kids) don’t have to exert extra energy. Their motivation serves as a tool, or a helper, in their learning.  There are still things I require of them of course, regardless of motivation, but it certainly is helpful to use whatever inspires them, when I can.

Do you ever feel like you’re playing tug of war with your kids?

Do you feel like you’re cattle prodding them to get their work done?  Oh boy, do I!  It does me well to read inspirational quotes or books to remind me of the advantages of homeschooling and having the freedom to let my kids follow their interests.

If you want a great book on this topic I urge you to check out “Passion Driven Education.”

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

It’s not a science, it’s an art.  And what helps me most is taking the time to study and observe my kids.

What makes them tick?

What do they talk about?

Does anything get them excited?

How can I light that fire?

Hitting a Wall in Our Homeschool

Recently, I’ve felt like we’ve hit a bit of a wall with my oldest.  Her newest thing is Minecraft.  As a creative learner, she loves building things and is always thinking up new things to make.  She has expressed wanting to be a marketplace creator (the people who make things to sell in the Minecraft Marketplace).

Since Minecraft is what gets her excited these days, I’ve been looking up ideas to use Minecraft as a tool for learning.  After all, it’s her moving walkway (at least, currently).  Thankfully I’ve found some solutions where we can tie what we’re studying in with Minecraft.  Thank you, GamEd Academy!

Now that isn’t ALL she does, BUT she is very excited when playing Minecraft and I have no doubt when she is building historical landmarks in Minecraft, she is retaining more about those landmarks than me teaching it in other ways.

That’s not to say we won’t utilize other ways of learning too (if you’ve been here long enough, you know living books are one of my favorite ways of learning history), but allowing her some time to show her knowledge by doing a “build” in Minecraft is very gratifying for her.

And with my other kids too, when I tie in things they love and have interest in, there is so much more buy-in for their learning.  Because then the learning itself is motivating to them.  And I’ve played a part in “lighting their fire”.