Caitlin is displaying some behaviors that are very typical of her situation. Divorce can make teens her age feel that they have lost a significant amount of control in their life. The way that she is approaching Mr. Brown’s class is, in part, her way of establishing a sense of control. Even if she is not doing well in the class, she is doing so by her own choice. Let’s look at Caitlin’s lack of motivation, connect it to the self-worth theory of motivation, as well as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and offer suggestions on how Mr. Brown can help develop Caitlin’s motivations.
Caitlin’s lack of motivation certainly reflects the self-worth theory that says that students will sometimes gain by not trying, or by deliberately withholding effort (Thompson, …show more content…
Caitlin’s acting out in class shows that she is making attempts to gain approval from her peers, in a negative way, in order to satisfy the disruption that she feels in her home life, more than likely due to no longer feeling that she belongs in the family she was used to, due to the divorce. Add to the fact that she is in a new school, with new peers that do not know the “old” Caitlin, and this is a fast way for a student to feel “connected” with their peers. In a way, the “esteem” need is being met in the opposite way it is supposed to. Caitlin is a smart girl that is make not so smart choices, she is not succeeding to seek the approval of her parents, teacher, or peers. Rather, she is self-sabotaging, possibly in order to bring some attention and recognition back towards her. This happens regularly in kids that find themselves “lost” in the middle of a …show more content…
Brown can use some strategies to help improve and develop Caitlin’s motivation. First, I think that Mr. Brown can set realistic performance goals for Caitlin. She has previously stated that it takes too much work to get an A in the class. If Mr. Brown focused on smaller achievements, like slowly increasing the grade of assignments, perhaps it would give Caitlin a sense of success and improvement. Mr. Brown can then use this Extrinsic Motivator to keep her on task and trying to change her grades for the better. Additionally, Mr. Brown can try to include some active learning and teaching by discovery methods in order to engage Caitlin and allow her to find joy in the task itself, and increase her performance due to that motivation (Wynder, 2008). This Intrinsic Motivator may allow Caitlin to connect to the materials and start to learn more about school work she is connected to on a personal level. Finally, Mr. Brown can be free with his praise. Any of Caitlin’s attempts at participation should be praised, as well as her efforts when it comes to taking notes and studying for assignments and tests. Caitlin is currently in a situation at home where she may feel that she is being overlooked. If Caitlin feels that she is being noticed at school, and valued for her input, this could encourage her to try harder to continue receiving what she feels she is missing at
Caitlin’s lack of motivation certainly reflects the self-worth theory that says that students will sometimes gain by not trying, or by deliberately withholding effort (Thompson, …show more content…
Caitlin’s acting out in class shows that she is making attempts to gain approval from her peers, in a negative way, in order to satisfy the disruption that she feels in her home life, more than likely due to no longer feeling that she belongs in the family she was used to, due to the divorce. Add to the fact that she is in a new school, with new peers that do not know the “old” Caitlin, and this is a fast way for a student to feel “connected” with their peers. In a way, the “esteem” need is being met in the opposite way it is supposed to. Caitlin is a smart girl that is make not so smart choices, she is not succeeding to seek the approval of her parents, teacher, or peers. Rather, she is self-sabotaging, possibly in order to bring some attention and recognition back towards her. This happens regularly in kids that find themselves “lost” in the middle of a …show more content…
Brown can use some strategies to help improve and develop Caitlin’s motivation. First, I think that Mr. Brown can set realistic performance goals for Caitlin. She has previously stated that it takes too much work to get an A in the class. If Mr. Brown focused on smaller achievements, like slowly increasing the grade of assignments, perhaps it would give Caitlin a sense of success and improvement. Mr. Brown can then use this Extrinsic Motivator to keep her on task and trying to change her grades for the better. Additionally, Mr. Brown can try to include some active learning and teaching by discovery methods in order to engage Caitlin and allow her to find joy in the task itself, and increase her performance due to that motivation (Wynder, 2008). This Intrinsic Motivator may allow Caitlin to connect to the materials and start to learn more about school work she is connected to on a personal level. Finally, Mr. Brown can be free with his praise. Any of Caitlin’s attempts at participation should be praised, as well as her efforts when it comes to taking notes and studying for assignments and tests. Caitlin is currently in a situation at home where she may feel that she is being overlooked. If Caitlin feels that she is being noticed at school, and valued for her input, this could encourage her to try harder to continue receiving what she feels she is missing at