Intrinsic motivation isn’t just what I often try and foster with my students, but it is exactly what I am applying and finding and fostering in myself these days. Not just for my students; but for me. After completing Special Education AQ Part One; I spared no time in registering and beginning to jump on the Part Two bandwagon. Was it because I was asked to? No. Was it because I thought it was what I should do? No. Was it to get it over with; the quicker, the better? Absolutely No! What I am reflecting on, which I will also reference throughout this overview of my experiences, learning, and growth, is the desire, excitement, interest, and deeply personal connection I am getting from it.

Growing up as an only child, I had little natural connection to group or partner dynamics outside of school and arranged “play dates.” I participated and gravitated to solo sports; ski racing, swimming, running etc. My days were planned with organized activities, and perhaps coming from good intentions to not become lazy or understimulated, I was scheduled, scheduled, and scheduled…to the max! When I did have time to myself, I was a highly inquisitive child, always taking things apart to see how they worked, putting them back together again to see if I understood, and making my own versions of things using what I learned from those steps.

However; the balance always came for two months of the year. I was a city girl and a country girl all wrapped into one. City life during the school year and off to spend summers in rural ocean countryside Nova Scotia with my grandparents. During the long, sun filled days of July and August, although I was mostly by myself (and no-this is not a bad thing, ) I found joy in creating, making, and arranging my own plans. As exciting as they would be to me, they revolved around simple triumphs in seeking, questioning, inquiring, and discovering items in nature and using them in various and creative ways to fill my days. One particular memory I remember so fondly, (as simple as it is) is how I used to love when it rained. The hours that followed, I would excitedly go outside, run barefoot down to the salty ocean shore and want to splash in every puddle I could find. I remember pondering and trying different ways to make the biggest splatter that would cover my legs in sandy muck, the depth of the puddles which made the largest impact, and the furthest I could make the water land. I remember the feeling.

Fast forward to University when I immediately became more in charge of my own “planning.” Guess what? I didn’t do any. I quit ski racing, I stopped swimming, and I focused on studies and social circles, and I stopped visiting the country little by little over the summer months. What then became more of a reality – I lost some connection with what made me want to explore outside of work, studying, and adult responsibilities. I had no place to jump in puddles, and I packed that up and parked it there.

The purpose of sharing that personal anecdote is not to bring you down a rabbit hole of one portion of my life, but rather make a direct connection to that feeling. That desire. That curiosity. What I do want that vignette to highlight is the desire to continue to evoke that positive feeling. Do things that challenge you, interest you, and excite you. The stuff that ultimately comes from within. It’s deeply personal to each individual and it needs nourishment to grow and expand. Although I was five or six, it was and is intrinsic motivation that encompassed me.

Now here I am. A place where I’ve dedicated my career and passion to help children of various ages find their own intrinsic motivation, whether it be in a subject area such as math, curiosity of learning new things, or fostering and supporting goals for personal success. I naturally provided those spaces for others, but not myself.

Completing Part One of the Special Education AQ, provided me with a great foundation of new key terms, board practices, and awareness of various learning styles, presentations, and exceptionalities. It highlighted the various strengths and challenges students can have, feel, explore, and struggle with each day. It focused on areas of potential strengths, implementation of possible strategies, and supports to better students’ learning. I felt like I was jumping puddles again.

After completion, I already knew I wanted to know more, learn more, and grow more with the knowledge to help others have that feeling, that true feeling of “Owning your Own Learning.” I am half way through Part Two and have already made dedicated plans to continue the last step in Part Three.

This second portion of the AQ has already taught me and continues to challenge me to inquire more, question more, and alter more around my thoughts, planning, actions, and strategies to create a more inclusive and effective program for all student success. It has also provided confidence and a great sense of pride to work in the environment that I do. Having smaller class sizes, having a supportive and collaborative Special Education Department, and Professional Development opportunities that continue to make me a better educator.

“…Authentic learning emphasizes ‘experience nurturing’ that provides longer lasting, transferable skills to an individual. It is more relevant, motivational and personal” 

Defining Authentic Learning by Steve Revington

During a module on Authentic Learning and how beneficial and relevant it can mean to students with special needs, exceptionalities and various presentations, (both in and outside of the classroom,) I found myself using terms like, “Now Literacies,” experiences such as, “Mitzvah Projects, Hackathons, Lego League, Genius Hour,” and even flipping a narrative such as, “Going Forward to School.” All of these mean something to me. All of these are important to me. All of these are only in my experience – directly because of my school, it’s dedication to inclusion, and ongoing time and space for current, real-life learning experiences.

The following is a small excerpt from my post on this topic:

Students are learning through their own inquiry, desire, choice, and motivation. Students are their own teachers. Teachers are more of guides and coaches, rather than the “owner of information” from the past. It is not the educators role to support students in acquiring, applying, using, and evaluating new skills that allow them to: find, seek, sift, plan, question, apply, change, alter, review, attempt, create, share, amplify…. and the list of verbiage goes on. All those verbs. Yet at the same time; not all synonymous with “learn.” It’s interesting that we use “learn” so interchangeably at times, yet don’t offer equal weight on the foundational skills required to “show what you know” so to speak.

Stopping here to reflect on this journey thus far; it is quite a personal one for me in many ways. It was reassuring in some ways yes, (my school and staff is pretty darn great!) but sometimes it lays in the provided opportunities, safety to take risks, and trust in others for support and guidance that can alter a view. When we provide students a more authentic learning experience that connects to a larger real-world issue, foster safe and inclusive classrooms (academically, emotionally, socially), communicate and collaborate with a growth mindset for a shared goal, students at all levels and abilities begin to feel learning. They begin to build, acknowledge, and reflect on who they are as a learner, and dive deeper into further investigation and growth on their own. Not because they are told to. Not because they think they should. But because they want to. They choose to.

That drive keeps us going. For some it’s a title, for others it’s formal recognition, a reward or even a grade. And for those like me; it’s the feeling, the personal enjoyment, and the internal growth that keeps me inquiring, questioning, learning, and reflecting.

With new strategies and tools to try, share, fail, reflect, and repeat again, I’m more prepared for the puddles. I’m not in the rain as much as I was during Part One. I’m puddle jumping again!