During the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping students motivated as classes move online has been crucial. The role of student motivation in the process of learning is well known and is supported by research.

However, the area of teacher motivation has not received as much attention. Even teachers themselves sometimes overlook the importance of their motivation in the profession.

Before the pandemic, I carried out PhD research with 23 secondary school teachers in Spain to investigate the factors which lead to motivation and demotivation in their daily teaching experiences.

My findings can help us understand usual negative influences which have an effect on teachers and how these challenges could be more important during the pandemic. The pressures of the pandemic may have exacerbated the factors which cause teachers to lose motivation, and negated the aspects that teachers find motivating.

Teacher motivation is closely linked to student motivation, and teachers who are motivated to teach can trigger students motivation to learn. Teachers can have an impact on students for better or for worse but if teachers are motivated, this influence will be more positive.

The factors that might lead to teachers losing enthusiasm for their work will sound familiar to many. Teachers are often said to not receive enough social recognition for the work they do and are understood to carry a heavy workload which leads to stress and demotivation.

In my study, I found that most of the sources for a loss of motivation among teachers were extrinsic beyond their direct control. These factors included their workload, salary, lack of resources, a lack of social recognition, and curriculum limitations.

COVID-19 may have accentuated well-known demotivators, such as the lack of support teachers receive from administration and the work overload they can face, which may have a negative impact on their work-life balance and their wellbeing.

Researchers have already identified some of the challenges teachers have faced during the pandemic from a reduction in high-quality interaction with students, to a lack of support and challenges with technology.

On the other hand, I found that the teachers were motivated by intrinsic factors a sense of reward which came from themselves, such as their enjoyment or satisfaction when teaching. It is well-known that teachers like their profession because they can help and educate learners and shape the future of our society.

The altruistic value of the teaching profession is a key factor in guaranteeing teacher motivation to teach, but it is not the only reason why teachers choose this career and remain in the profession.

The teachers in my study referred to teaching as a profession in which they can keep on learning. As one commented:

When I learn, when I know something new, or I discover something I didnt really know it was that way, I am motivated, I am happy, and I am satisfied.

Participants described a motivated teacher as someone who does not stop learning. The teaching profession allows them to be engaged in a lifelong learning process. The teachers I interviewed expressed that they like to be exposed to new ideas and to be intellectually stimulated, and these factors give them a drive to teach.

During the pandemic, teachers have had to figure out how to teach online and many have engaged in training to improve their performance and make sure they are ready for the challenges of online teaching. In a normal situation, you would expect learning new teaching skills like this to increase teacher motivation.

However, the pressure of the pandemic may have not allowed teachers to enjoy this learning process. Some may have found it a challenging and inspiring experience but it could also have been a frustrating opportunity in which teachers were put under pressure to learn something new in a limited time.

In a normal class, teachers must juggle between teaching, checking students understanding and answering questions. Now, simple actions such as sharing your screen and seeing your students at the same time, replying to messages in the chat while teaching or switching on and off the video and microphone, may become stressful challenges for those new to online teaching.

Teachers have also had to invest more time in adapting their resources without forgetting about their students motivation and engagement when learning online. But we cannot forget about teachers and their motivation.

Schools and other institutions need to provide support for teachers as they do their jobs under the extra strain of a pandemic. It is also important that teachers focus on their wellbeing and practise self-care and remember the sense of satisfaction they have gained from their profession.

More:
Teacher motivation is vital and COVID-19 may be hurting it - The Conversation UK

Stichiz Nov 16, 2020

Some good news and stories that may inspire you on this #MotivationMonday. Meet Taylor Lindsay-Noel a former gymnast who was well on her way to represent Canada in 2012 for the London Olympics, but unfortunately after an accident at the young age of 14-years-old Taylor fell and was paralyzed. However after creating her own business and refusing to stay down, 10 years later by grace Taylor would find herself going global with her business and even receiving an email from a well known host. Within an interview with TheStar.com Taylor speaks about receiving an email from a well known celeb, but she disregarded it thinking it was spam. "Last month, Cup of Te was confirmed. It now has the midas touch, pushed out on Amazon, which is what happens when Oprah puts her stamp of approval on a product.

I said, OK, God, I hear you. Needless to say the email was not spam and Taylor's business is doing pretty well.

See the original post here:
Motivation Monday: From Being Paralyzed To Creating Her Own Company - KFI AM 640

Chicago Bears (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Chicago Bulls: Pursue or pass on 10 notable free agents by Ryan Heckman

Chicago Bears fans across the country well most of them anyway rejoiced when they heard the news break that head coach Matt Nagy was going to give up playcalling duties, starting with tonights Minnesota Vikings game.

It is a move that many have been calling for to happen since last season, though the chorus has grown louder and louder with each embarrassingly bad offensive performance. It apparently got so loud that Nagy made the decision to do whats best for the team and yield those duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor or did he?

Look, Nagy mostly said the right things when asked about his decision to hand over responsibilities for the one thing he was brought here to do call plays. However, there were two things that stuck out about the decision and how Nagy communicated it to the press.

The first thing that was curious was that he said anything at all. You may recall when asked about it after last weeks loss to the Tennessee Titans, Nagy indicated that if such a change was made he wouldnt publicize it. The reason, he cited, was that he wouldnt want to disclose that fact to the Vikings or other teams, for competitive advantage reasons.

So why the change of heart? Why was the competitive advantage so important a week ago, but not now?

Well, the answer may lie in the second thing that jumped out to me about this decision and that is in the manner in which Nagy communicated it to the media.

Speaking at his media Zoom session on Friday, Nagy said the following: If our team can be better because of this move and I dont know that but if we can, then darn it, thats what we need to do.

It may have been overlooked by some, but I thought the comment questioning whether it would work was enlightening. It almost feels as if the line and I dont know that was very intentional. Perhaps Nagy feels the struggles on offense are due more to personnel than his playcalling. So is it at least possible that the true motivation behind this move was for Nagy to show the world that its not his playcalling? In other words, if Lazor fails to have success, then maybe it is a personnel or execution issue?

It is entirely possible I am reading too much into those comments, but it is at least food for thought.

More here:
Chicago Bears: Two puzzling aspects of Nagys decision - Da Windy City

The dreading of annual performance reviews is well underway for most people in organizations. It is understandable that subordinates feel anxious.

After all, to a great degree, they are at the mercy of their bosses, who sometimes subscribe to the curious notion that you dont want employees to feel too confident lest they expect extraordinary increases in compensation, etc.

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Dr. Paul P. Baard is an organizational psychologist, specializing in motivation, with Fordham University, a former senior line executive in the television industry, and the lead author of a book on leadership and motivation. He and Veronica Baard, a former managing director responsible for HR at a major international investment banking firm, head up Baard Consulting LLC, a firm in the greater Boston area, focusing on motivation, conflict reduction, and team building. Questions are welcomed at pbaard@baardconsulting.com.

View original post here:
Dr. Paul P. Baard's Motivation Matters: The art of giving and receiving critical feedback - The Union Leader

Republic of Ireland football player Callum ODowda and Englands Jadon Sancho take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before their international friendly at Wembley Stadium, London last Friday. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire

Hate crime legislation should be introduced as soon as possible to address an escalation in racially motivated crimes and help build a safer society for Irish citizens, the UN rapporteur on the elimination of racial discrimination in Ireland has said.

Efforts are also needed to tackle the prevalence of hate speech on social media which has become increasingly rampant, Prof Verene Shepherd warned this week.

Prof Shepherd, who oversaw last years UN review of Irelands efforts to tackle racism, told The Irish Times the global growth of the Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on the importance of robust hate crime legislation.

She paid tribute to the young black Irish people who spoke publicly in recent months about the racism they had experienced in Ireland and said it was heartwarming to know Irish people were paying greater attention to issues of discrimination within their own borders.

The Government committed in June to introducing hate crime legislation within 12 months and said it would revise and update the 1989 Incitement to Hatred Act. A spokesman for the Department of Justice told The Irish Times its review of hate speech and hate crime was being finalised and is due for publication in the coming weeks. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee expects to bring draft legislation in this area to Government for approval in the new year, he said.

Last year the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) also warned of a high incidence of racial profiling by garda and said the Judicial Council, garda, prosecutors and judges should receive training on methods for identifying, investigating and prosecuting racist hate crime.

Were emphasising again the issue of education and training for public officials, said Prof Shepherd, adding that education on racism in schools was also vital. Tolerance has to be taught to kids. We cant just teach them when theyre adults and when they become police officers. We need to teach about racism and all its ugly forms early. We need to use education to prepare our citizens to be more tolerant and to shun racist thoughts and racist acts.

Prof Shepherd said anecdotal evidence presented to the UN last December had indicated a high level of discrimination towards black Irish people and people of African descent in the workplace and said more up-to-date, disaggregated ethnicity data was badly needed to better understand the racial barriers people face in work.

Both State bodies and civil society have a role to play in ending racism, she said. If we understand that we have a collective role to end racial discrimination we can work towards truly creating a better world. We cannot continue in this fractured state of inter-ethnic and interstate relations. Its up to us to fix whats wrong.

Ms Shepherd also warned of the impact of Covid-19 on minorities, saying the pandemic was disproportionately affecting certain vulnerable groups. We cannot come out of Covid the same way we went in. We need to be better.

Sinad Gibney, chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, which presented its findings on racism in Ireland to the UN last year, agreed that Covid-19 had further exposed the way in which structural discrimination in Ireland impacts different groups, particularly among Travellers, people of African descent and Roma.

Ms Gibney underlined the urgency in addressing longstanding inadequacies in Irelands approach to hate crime and hate speech and noted that the Governments approach to these issues should not purely focus on criminal sanctions. A wider cultural shift to a more inclusive, representative and respectful public sphere is needed to ensure a whole-of-society response, she said.

Prof Shepherd commended the Government for establishing an anti-racism committee in June 2020, which has been tasked with drafting an action plan within a year, but said she hoped to see further progression of the UN recommendations when the State presents its one-year follow-up report in 2021. The UN committee will be heartened by the news that the Government had committed to ending direct provision and will look forward to reading the Government White Paper due for publication in December, said Prof Shepherd.

Read more here:
Rise in racially motivated crimes in Ireland must be tackled, says UN rapporteur - The Irish Times

CATAWISSA Karly Renn is willing to put in the work to be successful.

Whether on the soccer field, fine-tuning her form in the pole vault, or doing schoolwork, the Southern Columbia senior is motivated to perform her best.

"Shehas an unbelievable work rate," Southern Columbia girls soccer coach Derek Stine said of his midfielder."Her work rate is second to none."

Renn said she's always been that way, especially when it came to school.

"I'm just really determined,"Renn said. "Even when I was little, when I would get home from school I wouldn't eat my snack first. I would always do my schoolwork first. I prioritize my schoolwork, even before soccer. School always comes first because it's what you're going to need later in life."

Renn's play on the soccer field, which has helped the Tigers to a five-game winning streak heading into the state playoffs, hersparkling GPA (4.0), anda commitment to community service are why she was selected as The Daily Items Scholar-Athlete of the Week, sponsored by SUN Orthopaedics of Evangelical, as well as PPL Electric Utilities.

The award honors local student-athletes who thrive in the classroom, in the community, and on Valley playing fields.

Renn and her Southern Columbia teammates host Moravian Academy in the Class A quarterfinals tonight at 7.

"I'm a midfielder, so I'm trying to control the middle,"Renn said. "I'm keeping the team calm in stressful situations. We've battled through so many close games. I'm trying to keep up our mentality, and I'm assuring my teammates, like, 'You're good. It's OK.'"

That role has taken on extra importance this season as Renn is the only senior on the Tigers' roster.

"Karly is not the most vocal person,"Stine said. "She leads by example. She's an all-around good player, good person. The younger girls definitely look up to her."

Renn said at the beginning of the season, everyone looked to her to lead as a returning captain, but otherTigers have stepped up as the season has gone on.

"I was behind the scenes, an on-field leader,"Renn said. "I wasn't the one who was leading the stretches; I wasn't the voice of the team. This year, that's changed. I've had to step up and be a vocal leader on and off the field."

Away from the field, Renn is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Columbia Class of 2021.

"It's been different with online schooling,"Renn said. "We're doing a hybrid schedule, so I have a lot more free time at home during the day to get my work done.

"I've been handling it as best as I can.There's so many obstacles that are being thrown at us. We're just forced to adapt to them.

"Soccer is one thing that's kept some normalcy in our lives, and it's been great."

Renn has been handling it well, continuing her streak of final grade As, as getting a B even on a test is something she doesn't take lightly.

"We have this hard biology class, and I've gotten a B in there,"Renn said, "but I get real upset when I don't do well. If I get a bad test grade, someone will be able to tell from the outside that I didn't do well."

Renn is currently enrolled in three honors classes(calculus 2, Spanish 5 and physics), and is taking English composition as a dual-enrollment student with Luzerne County Community College. That ups her total to double-digit honors and Advanced Placement classes with another semester left.

"We're writing a lot of essays,"Renn said of her dual-enrollment class. "It's a lot of on-your-own assignments, but I've been doing well because I'm motivated to complete them."

Renn added that she and some of her classmates are the first to take Honors Spanish 5. Renn's true academic interests lie in maths and sciences.

"Math and scienceare combined for my favorites,"Renn said. "I've always loved math, and science is a close second. Engineering is a combination of the two of those.

"I love problem-solving.I love getting the right answer. In English, there's no right or wrong like in math. It just seems to click for me. I have really good teachers, too, and that helps for sure."

That plays into her future plans. Renn said she is planning to pole vault and study engineering bio or biomedical in college. She is currently looking at Patriot League schools.

Renn said she is taking a fun class, but that fun class still plays into her enjoyment of science ecology.

"I actually have a chameleon that I take care of for a grade,"Renn said. "We have a courtyard, so me and my friend have the job of taking care of a flowerbed. We plant flowers and things like that. That's more of my laid-back, fun-type class."

In addition to school, sports and working two jobs, Renn also finds time to give back to her community.

She helped raise funds for the "Chase Strong" campaign for a local child the cousin of a former teammate who died from brain cancer.

"It's important to help others,"Renn said, "plus it's a nice thing to do, and it makes you feel good."

She has also volunteered at Southern Columbia's girls youth soccer camp, which she said had the dual benefit of helping the youth in her community and building the future of the soccer program.

"I can't say enough good about Karly Renn,"Stine said. "Off the field, she's every bit the person that she is the player on the field."

See more here:
Renn motivated to excel on, off field - Sunbury Daily Item

Hunter Maldonado and the rest of Wyoming's men's basketball team are looking to exceed expectations after being picked to finish ninth in the Mountain West preseason poll.

LARAMIE Nobody expected much from Jeff Linders team in 2006 either.

At the time, Linder was entering his first season as an assistant on Randy Rahes staff at Weber State. The Wildcats, with just three players returning from a team that finished 10-17 the year before, were picked in the preseason to finish last in the Big Sky Conference.

Fast forward 14 years, and the outside expectations for Linders new team are nearly as low. Before the start of Mountain West basketballs virtual media days earlier this week, Wyoming was picked to finish ninth in the leagues preseason media poll. Only Air Force and San Jose State were below the Cowboys in the 11-team conference.

It was kind of the same situation, Linder said.

The Cowboys place in the preseason pecking order didnt come as much of a surprise entering Linders first season as head coach. UW, which has won just 17 games the last two seasons, finished last in the Mountain West standings last season and has just four players returning following the offseason coaching change.

But many of them, including leading returning scorer and rebounder Hunter Maldonado, were key cogs in helping the Cowboys make a surprise run to the Mountain West tournament semifinals last season. And with new philosophies in place that emphasize 3-point shooting and defending the 3-point line Linders Northern Colorado team ranked in the top 10 nationally in both categories last season theres a feeling within UWs camp that the Cowboys blend of holdovers and eight newcomers will surprise.

View post:
Low expectations on the outside motivation for Wyoming to 'prove people wrong' - Casper Star-Tribune

One of the most anticipated festivals of the year, Diwali is here! Though the year 2020 has been unpredictable, it is in such uncertain and unprecedented times when festivals are much needed to spread joy and hope among us.The festival of lights signifies the victory of good of evil and the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya. It is a time to not just clean and decorate our homes, but to also pause and reflect, and spend quality time with our family and near ones. While meeting friends and family in person might not be possible for most of us, considering the pandemic, we should stay positive as tough times don't last forever. This Diwali, here we share some inspiring and motivational quotes that perfectly depict the essence of the festival of lights! Read on. 1. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. - Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

2. You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world. Oprah Winfrey

3. Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someones life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance. Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

4. To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are. Roy T. Bennett

5. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems, 1956-1968

6. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

7. Whatever you are physically...male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy--all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside. Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

8. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.

Read more from the original source:
Happy Diwali 2020: 10 inspiring and motivational quotes that perfectly depict the essence of the festival - Times of India

SSE Arena, Wembley, London - Rachel Ball's fairytale story continued as she sealed a unanimous decision win over Argentina's Jorgelina Guanini to secure the vacant interim-WBC super bantamweight world title.

Ball was denied a shot at the WBA bantamweight belt when replacement opponent Guanini could not make the weight limit earlier this week. Guanini, who holds the IBF super flyweight title,came in on late notice. She was severely over the bantamweight limit and even failed to make the super bantam limit of 122.

However, Ball still completed a career-best win with scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 99-92.

"I'm so grateful to Matchroom and BCB for continuing to support my journey," said Ball. "I felt confident that it was mine. I was landing my shots pretty well. She was running around the ring and I feel like I used my distance a lot better.

"Everything happens for a reason and perhaps she was what I needed at this time. Fair play to her, it was a really good fight. I'm glad I used my assets a bit more in this fight. When I had the opportunity I did go forwards. I went to the body a bit more which I'm pleased about.

"Look how far Terri [Harper] has gone and look how far Katie [Taylor]has gone. I'd love to be able to be as successful as them. That would be amazing. It's all good experience. I hope we inspire some girls out there to try boxing and do something different."

Follow this link:
Rachel Ball Motivated To Reach The Heights of Taylor and Harper - BoxingScene.com

MEMPHIS In less than two weeksthe day before Thanksgivingthe Tigers will tip off the college basketball season, opening the year in the Crossover Classic against Saint Marys from Sioux Falls, South Dakota where Penny Hardaway will have a motivated team with far fewer preseason expectations than a year ago.

Not only is the U of M ranked just outside the AP.s Preseason Top 25 at number-27 but on Thursday, the coaches poll came out and the Tigers are even further back.

The Tigers garnering just 12 total votes. Thats good for 35th in the country.

Were not in the Top 25 and we feel were a Top 25 team, said Tigers forward D.J. Jeffries. When we go out to South Dakota, were going to go out there and prove it. Show the world that were a legitimate runner for the National Championship. We always play with an edge because its the Memphis way.

Especially coming from last year and my freshman year, us not being what we should have been, said Tigers guard Alex Lomax. Being the Memphis Tigers and getting back to where we should be, to our prime. Prime Time playing basketball. I think this team is motivated more than ever.

The Tigers also held a virtual Memphis Madness on Thursday night.

Lester Quinones won the 3-point contest.

Newcomer Ahmad Rand was the winner of the slam dunk contest.

Read more here:
Tigers motivated for season thats less than two weeks away - wreg.com