“Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation and Creativity in the Classroom” | Beth Hennessey | TEDxSausalito

PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, WELLESLEY COLLEGE
What can intrinsic motivation and creativity do in a classroom?
Beth Hennessey is a professor of psychology at Wellesley College, and she studies the powerful link between intrinsic task motivation and creativity performance.
Hennessey frequently teaches a seminar on the psychology of creativity, a course on research methods in educational psychology, and a class on the psychology of teaching, learning, and motivation. Teaching is what makes her “tick.” She studies it, writes about it, and does it fueled
by her own unending intrinsic motivation.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@tiaprocelius2226]

I always knew this. Everybody knows this. But we have to wait years until someone with actual academic power to undertake real studies, to say it out loud to the academic community so that it BEGINS to be a subject of discussion and respect so that MAYBE, someDAY the educational system will CONSIDER to incorporate A BIT of this and that and undertake a "REFORM" that will take years. Thank you Beth. We have a long way. Why am I watching this video? Because I'm interested in education. Because I always wanted to understand my "failure", my "almost success" and actual success and how can I empower others to it, and at last but not least, how can I undo the robbery of motivation they ripped out of me day after day. Children are vulnerable. Don't ruin children please.

[@camilalouzada4369]

I appreciate her speech and I do believe it's possible to cultivate this inner feeling while putting students together in their discovering process, but it starts with us.

[@joell527]

Thank you for this speech. I've been implementing this highly important shift for the past two years while teaching young kids, and it has worked!

[@kavitaramdeen]

I definitely agree with all of this. One of the issues is that many are not aware of this fact, I also feel that parents should take note of this as well.

[@bethreed5935]

Project-based learning, where students seek answers and use all their "academic" tools- reading, writing, math, science, to explore and then solve a challenge are self-motivating and authentic.

[@srourfamily]

As a STEM teachers, i believe students need stamina and infuses all forms motivations, i dont see many kids just using "inside motivation" what i see is rewards and positive relationship with teachers, mentor, and of course students. Just like life work related projects it is about a product (product struggles and everlasting means to finished a project) In additions, Students are developing and lacking skills and dont get enough opportunities to make mistake in "growth mindset class" are just seating there waiting for instructions. Zarratta Hammond works makes it clearer about all aspects of motives.

[@ohnofan]

Many teachers are ready, willing, and able to go this route but they are literally NOT ALLOWED to do it. In fact, creative teachers are reprimanded today for not following the boring, scripted curriculum. Problem is, too many school and district administrators have little to no classroom experience and are literally telling teachers how to do a job that they, themselves have never done.

[@michaelmoffett4392]

Great job! Thanks for the perspective...

[@randallcenteno]

Very interesting. How can we deal with time in a different way when we have a syllabus to cover?

[@juliannataylen4397]

Beautifully stated.

[@michaelcorriea9626]

Wow, that reminds me of exactly how standardized tests are conducted! Very interesting!

[@tiaprocelius2226]

I was so ahead of my classmates regarding drawing and art and so many times I was told to drop it, and make the exercise everybody else was doing that was too easy and boring just for the sake of normalization or any other requests to focus on boring tasks. Other thing that runs too fast is maths. Why are maths grades so low? Maybe it's not the kid's faults... maybe they should give us more time. I think need comes ahead of the tool. Maths is a tool for science, science and the concrete should come first, and then the need to solve those problems in an abstract way, as Maths is. If I were to demand the same level of development I have myself in a certain subject to children it wouldn't work. Why would I force everybody to know music? and by music I mean harmony, aural literacy, reading solfa from scores, sight singing.... Why would I torture a child with such a boring work if she is not interested in it? Yes, lerning a bit, sure! Learning a bit is always good. Knowing how numbers work is important. Sure! But why do we have to stress and run after the year's mark? maybe they don't give us enough time. Because you end up realizing you only understood last's years subject this year. Beth is so right. I saw so many kids with low self steem, worring about failing the year, many were left behind... And the model of success is based on these few EXCEPTIONAL KIDS appearing on the "honour board". And why only focus on these subjects? So many things people can become professionals of.

[@cristianamaris8817]

excelente mensaje..

[@TheGuggo]

The business world gravitates around those 6 intrinsic motivational killers. My company doesn’t miss a single one of them and they are observed and applied religiously. We are all robots programmed to pass the month, the quarter and the yearly results, to get our bonuses and in competition with each other. Imagine what we could do under a different CEO who would dare understanding and applying some intrinsic motivation enablers.

[@tinaswain8537]

What you are looking for is Montessori teaching. Not all schools follow the philosophy properly though, anyone can use the name.

[@dr.surendraparmar2336]

Good lecture on motivation and creativity.

[@kevinswilcox]

Eye opening video!

[@Tuesdayhawkins]

Exactly!

[@AnanyaSankarDebabhutiisthe]

Wow ,it is a really awesome teaching

[@JimmyBlackhall]

very interesting! there is hope in future education.

[@healthandsuccess6217]

Thank you

[@e.r.3258]

Thanks for being honest about this. This is really what is killing creativity in the classroom, especially for kids. They become less creative as they grow up because of too much restriction and competition.

[@dr.srikant2251]

thank you

[@arrunna1986]

intrinsic motivation is conducive to creativity

[@mukeshmahale7281]

Very nice thought shared with us

[@baturamsarkar5595]

Thanks

[@es2458]

Nice video and it’s all true but this didn’t say how to cultivate intrinsic motivation.

[@DrJessica]

Look into Ryan and Deci's Self Determination Theory.

[@grailchaser]

@@DrJessica TLDR: Offer choice to support their autonomy, support their competence and self-efficacy, and enable them to feel included and valued (relatedness). :)

[@j-fit677]

@@DrJessica Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@user-iv9nn4wd6w]

Very nice...

[@drtaraknathchattopadhyay1776]

Informative video

[@resred5666]

WOW those 6 motivation killers are being experienced in different organizations as well, gotta convey this message to all those incompetent managers out there

[@dr.namdevsodgir1117]

Very nice session mam

[@alexanderdriscoll1730]

I look at my life now and I want to live in such a way where no reward is necessary, not even for cleaning up the house or what ever it is.. Say for instance I clean the house so I get approval from my family or friends or partner. That is still working for an outside extrinsic motivation. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE EVERYTHING Intrinsic and to connect to ALL the things I am participating in in my daily life without even a trace of reward or fear of punishment. It's different for a dog maybe, but a human being, I reckon we have this in us to do everything in our life for the sheer care of life itself. To see everything as our home. I don't want that to be an idea or ideal imposed on the reality we have now.. But it makes me curious about what is our cultural and social and historical infrastructure that inforces this conditioning to live in the way we do of fear and pleasure, reward and punishment? I would say I am realistic, I want to deal with the actual.. If the depth of me is always motivated by reward and punishment completely, then yes, I will just swallow that pill.

[@brotigayen6858]

It's a reality check speech.

[@aparnadas5277]

Very nice

[@backyardbison]

"Odyssey of the Mind" is the most effective program I have found to develop student creative problem-solving abilities and confidence. The Odyssey of the Mind program evaluates student work in a competition and time-constraints are also part of the process. Evaluation, competition, and time-constraints can enhance creativity in a well designed program with the right leadership. Students need to learn how to learn from failure. A low scoring element, a last-place finish, or running out of time are valuable life lessons. Students don't want to repeat those mistakes. Next time they push their creativity further, "sell" their creativity better, and are better time-managers. The "science" presented in this talk is incomplete, and the blanket statements presented in this talk are inaccurate. If you do not believe me, attend a local Odyssey of the Mind tournament.

[@WestCoastThings]

6 Ways to kill motivation: 1) promise reward 2) lead them to expect they will be evaluated 3) restrict their choice 4) restrict their time 5)engage in surveillance 6) do 1-5 in a situation of competition

[@eternalexpansion7868]

1:40

[@mrcooperclark]

I haven’t experienced time being a big benefit. I’ve offered projects to students and given them freedom to be creative and explore and they do not do it. It needs to be modeled and I believe there is a deeper issue. Kids are not able to focus anymore. Technically is rotting their attention. I think this is a more difficult issue than people think. These ideas look good on paper, but in the classroom I’m not sure they actually work.

[@rainstoriess]

i don’t want to watch this fuckin video for college but i have to

[@annamarienagaithiriotes7174]

Standardized tests are an industry.

[@masoodahmed5305]

Good

[@nihalvallath7302]

👍👍

[@swarnabiswas4932]

I think, to face real problems and solve them, we need to cultivate a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation among students. Because both are needed time to time, sometimes when we don't get extrinsic motivation, we need to lie upon intrinsic motivation. If lessons are made interesting then their intrinsic motivation can automatically be gained.

[@elizabethsheriffclarkhs9146]

hate to tell you this but competition is not bad - got many people where they are now; in addition the teaching to the test mentality comes from the district - not from the teachers. Those who make the rules for the classroom are NOT in the classroom and if they ever were they have lost touch

[@srourfamily]

i have a lot success aiding students with all kinds of motivation, i read some of your work but "inside motivation" is hidden. I rather inspire the students instead "control the class' the classes i observe many students are hungry and goals are either set or confusing. Many teachers are doing well but overwhelming with data and assessments/ ,

[@hbanana7]

Why do I keep hearing clicking sounds? It's very distracting

[@c.b.inalli1841]

Good