Motivation, motivation, motivation, sir.

Get some, got some, good, huah!
          -something we said back in my Air Force days-

Ten days ago I completed a 111 mile bike race. I didn't win. I didn't even go very fast. But, I did finish. Nobody paid me to do the race and I don't think anyone judged me or scored my performance (at least I hope not). I had no reason at all to do the race, other than I wanted to do the race.

This, I think, is what we call intrinsic motivation: doing something because you like doing that thing. I see it occassionally in my photography classes. There are students who love to take pictures and the will go out and take pictures regardless of what I assign. I see it in my English classes. Students with their noses buried in books. Occasional poets in the making writing from cover to cover in their spiral notebooks. Performers entertaining the class at the wrong time. Artists doodling when I'm lecturing. Etc.

One of my biggest goals this year is to somehow influence students to want to do what I want them to do. Not for the grade. Not for the experience. Not to prepare for college. Just to do it.

I'm just trying to remember the last time someone made me want to do something that I didn't want to do, and how they did it.