Do We Need Motivation?

            Everyone lives with the own goals or something that should be reach. The way to reach the goals in live is not always smooth but it can be there are some challenges or troubles that make the process become longer. The behavior of the process to reach goals also not always good or positive, sometime people will act negative behavior that can increase their ability to catch the objective. For instance, as students I ever feel lazy and I did not do my work because of I gave up to the scary teacher. It was negative behavior that can make my journey longer to achieve my goals. The reason or things that influence behavior is Motivation. I said to Bu Mima that I did not have motivation or my motivation going to decrease to learning when I was in Vocational High School so I did not care with my study. From this case, I realize how important motivation of students in learning and as teachers we should try to help our students to keep on their motivation.

                I have learnt about Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation and I think both of them should work simultaneously. In my opinion, if there is one factor is bigger than the other it will make the changes of behavior. For instance, I am a student who tries to study hard because I want to be a doctor but I do not have confidence. In my case, my friends, parents and teachers support me very well to do that so I try harder in learning. That is positive attitude that resulted because extrinsic behavior bigger than intrinsic in positive side, it makes the students feel supported and try harder. If extrinsic motivation in negative aspect is bigger than intrinsic perhaps it will decrease students’ motivation to study hard. In my observation, students now more influenced by extrinsic motivation from their environment because they do not have clear goals and try to motivate themselves from intrinsic side. To solve the problem I think as a teacher we should help them to find their goal and guide them when they confuse or feel unmotivated. The most important as a teacher we cannot blame them without know the reason our students do such things.

                From the previous learning I still doubt in motivating students because it is not very easy to conduct and students now are very easy to follow their friend. Motivating students not only in the matter of study but also in the process of creating good attitude, the way they communicate with social and the creation of thought (positive or negative). It will be difficult to engage students’ motivation when they do not have passion in learning (bad mood). Teacher should be very creative and patient to face this challenge.

                I get more new knowledge about motivation after I join motivation class. I have known that there are some theories in motivation such as Behavioral, Humanistic, Sociocultural & Cognitive and Social. Form those theories, I a little bit disagree with Behavioral theory which emphasizes external punishment and reward. I think it will make students expect to the teacher too much in giving something to them if they learn. The teacher not emphasize the motivation students to learning because they need it or because they goals but because reward or punishment that teachers gave. It is not good because we have to learn from our heart not because of reward or punishment from someone. The mental of students also not created well, in my point of view it will make students depend on something if they want to do something.

                I like Humanistic theory which we respond the students a human not learner. This aspect will make us try to understand them and will be easy to motivating them in learning because we are not forcing or blame them. In my opinion, this theory will be applicable if we combine it with classroom management. All the things that happen will be determined by classroom management that have been created by students and teachers. The students will have motivation because we are same with them. By Kathy class example that students feel difficult and hard to write homework and the teacher said that she have to study hard in the night before meet students in morning. I think that is small way encouragement that teacher gives to students. Teacher wants students do not think that only them that should work hard but also teacher.