My Positive and Negative Experiences with Motivation in Elementary School

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For years, students, parents, teachers and other curious individuals have wondered if grades are the proper motivational tool for students. From one teacher’s standpoint, my grandmother, who was a high school math teacher for over 30 years, has always told me in years past that grades are a false sense of achievement or failure. And she defiantly did not believe in giving tests and engraving the score in her grade book so administrators could determine which of her students had the potential for a successful career and which ones would be flipping burgers. Then there was Mrs. South (not her real name), my third grade teacher. I’m a firm believer that she measured the success of her students by how many “A” grades she could ink in her grade book. Were her grades a motivational factor? Sometimes. Should her grades have been a motivational factor? Sometimes. Just like the age old saying goes, “There is a time and place for everything.” The same holds true in determining when grades can be a positive motivational tool with students. Let me explain. My first two examples reflect my opinion as to why grades were not the primary motivational tool. I was in the Union Public School system stationed in Tulsa, OK. Yes, I use the word stationed because my grade school was run like a military school. Or at least at a young age, I felt like it was. I attended Darnaby Elementary, which is known as the most competitive grade school in the Union school district, both academically and athletically. As young students we were driven hard and high standards were set for us, even in our P.E. class. At the beginning of each school year we knew that as soon as we walked into the gymnasium we were going to be measured on how many repetitions we co... ... middle of paper ... ...excellent school and I take pride knowing that I had the opportunity to go there. They have a reputation for being a premier school with excellent academics and sports. Even Union mentions on their website that they are a “premier school system known for excellent academics and sports … and has a teaching style designed to address the needs of unique and diverse learners.” But when you have 13 elementary schools, with over 6,000 young students being taught differently, “grades” become skewed. On the other hand, when students get older and the playing field is equal, then grades can be an excellent way to motivate students. Works Cited Rose, Mike. “I Just Wanna Be Average.” 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Samuel Cohen. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 350-363. Print. Unionps.org. Union Public Schools, Tulsa, OK, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

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