Interesting = Motivation

In life there is fire-whether it is in learning or anger, it is all up to you. When it comes to school I am usually good at getting my work done and focusing on what is being taught. The fire is lit, and I am ready to learn except for when I look at work and get discouraged because it is hard to understand. If I am in a class, and I do not get what is going on I will lose that fire and not want to learn anymore. If I am in a science or math related class I will want to keep on working and keep learning because those two classes are what I love. Although, math is not my strongest suit like biology, chemistry, or anatomy is, I still love figuring out problems once I am on a roll and understand what needs to be done.

This is where “education is not the filling of a pail, but rather the lighting of a fire” because it is interesting information and not useless stuff that I will forget about. Some people in school would say that education is like filling a pail because it is information that they will never use. Others would say that education is like lighting a fire because they want to learn and they want to succeed. Some people would rather put the fire out than ignite it and continue to learn.

My favorite thing to learn about in school is anything science related because there is a lot of trial and error situations, along with dissecting or memorizing information. I have taken freshman science, biology, chemistry and anatomy & physiology throughout my high school career. Not only is science my favorite, but so is math except for the fact that I am not strong in this class. Some standards I know really well and am confident doing them, while other standards I really struggle with. Math is a 50 50 chance with me depending on what is being taught. At times I would rather give up than continue to learn because I just do not get it or it takes me multiple tries to get the answer correct. When that happens I go to a friend or my teacher and ask for help so that I will continue and keep the fire lit.

There were days in biology that we would get to dissect a worm, frog, and a rat. We also got to look at preserved animals like a bat, turtle, bird, and a pig while we were in that unit of learning. Dissecting is pretty gross, but also really interesting because of the organs and insides. After looking at what was asked I would destroy the animal until there was nothing visibly noticeable. That is when my fire was fueled and I was ready to be the “surgeon”. Once the animal was cut open you could see and touch just about everything.

When it comes to math the work can be easy or difficult. The fire is either lit for a long time or burnt out immediately. Learning new standards are hard at first because I just do not get how to do it, but a few minutes will pass and I will be on a roll. This is where I want to keep working and moving forward because I actually understand what I was taught.

The more interesting the work is the more motivation I have to do it. When I am in those classes and I continue to get good grades, my attitude is positive. Good grades mean that I am understanding the work and wanting to get it done. By learning new things and continuing to learn will help me in the future when I am in college or even when I go to work. Having the fire in the future will make me a better employee and will keep me motivated to want to learn more.

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