1. Goals: Students will 1. Gain insight into what motivates them. 2. Take questionnaires re positive psychology and gain insight to selves. 3. Analyze the answers and write a ticket out the door re what their answers told them about themselves.

2.  The motivation you bring to the classroom is critical in determining how much, and how well, you learn. ◦ This activity allows you to access and reflect on the quality of your own motivation for taking this class. ◦ Research has demonstrated the importance of having internal motivation: doing X because it is interesting and enjoyable rather than doing it because one feels like he or she has to.

3.  Hand out motivation questionnaire (appendix 24.1).  Prompt: ◦ Think about why you are trying to do well in this class. Then rate each of the possible reasons. You may be doing it for more than one reason, so you might give high ratings to more than one of the questions.  Take 3 minutes to do the questionnaire.

4.  Write about and explain your ratings on the five questions. ◦ Why did you make each rating? ◦ Analyze your academic motivation. How has it changed since the first day you entered elementary school? What has changed since then and why? ◦ What negative patterns of thought or motivation might you try to notice, challenge, and change? ◦ What can you say to yourself to convince yourself that you need to try hard in this class? ◦ If you cannot convince yourself, what are you prepared to accept or do? You have 10 minutes to write

5.  Compare this class with another for which you have a different motivation. ◦ What makes the difference? ◦ Is there social pressure or stresses that may have undermined motivation in one type of class or another? ◦ What type of learning environment is most conducive to promoting intrinsic motivation? ◦ What type of learning environment undermines intrinsic motivation?

6.  Go to the following site: http://authentichappiness.org 1. Take the Positive Psychology exams that interest you for 30 minutes. 2. Take 15 minutes to tell me, in writing, what you learned about yourself by taking the questionnaires.